The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made significant gains in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir, with party president J.P. Nadda expressing confidence that the BJP will dominate the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Speaking to reporters after visiting the Shri Naina Devi Temple in Chhattisgarh, Nadda attributed the party’s success to the performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, stating that the credit for these victories belongs to the people and to God.
In the Haryana assembly elections, the BJP not only retained power but also successfully prevented a comeback by the Congress party, achieving a hat-trick victory. In Jammu & Kashmir, the BJP made notable strides by winning 29 out of 90 seats.
Meanwhile, the BJP is preparing to replicate its Haryana success model in Maharashtra. The party has solidified its coalition with Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), ensuring a strong foothold in the state. The Maharashtra cabinet made significant announcements recently, including granting constitutional status to the State Scheduled Caste Commission. The cabinet has also sought central government support to increase the income of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from eight lakh to 15 lakh per year.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde elaborated on these cabinet decisions, stating that the ordinance to grant constitutional status to the Scheduled Caste Commission will be tabled in the next assembly session, with 27 posts approved for the panel.
The recent Haryana assembly elections witnessed unprecedented results, with initial vote counts suggesting a Congress wave. In the first hour of counting, Congress appeared to lead in 72 out of 90 assembly segments. However, as counting progressed, the BJP regained control, ultimately surpassing the majority threshold. By the second hour of counting, celebrations within the Congress camp began to wane.
In the previous election, the BJP secured 40 seats while Congress obtained 31. This time, despite lacking support from the Janata Jananayak Party (JJP), the BJP managed to reach 50 seats. Despite lingering anti-incumbency sentiments, Congress could only gain five additional seats. This marked a historic hat-trick victory for the BJP in the state.
Prior to the election, exit polls had suggested that Congress could form a government in both Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir, leading to early celebrations within the Congress camp. However, BJP leaders maintained a cautious stance, anticipating the final results. Initial exit polls had projected around 55 seats for Congress in Haryana, yet the BJP effectively countered these expectations, securing a decisive victory.
