The northern state of Haryana is extremely crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) fortune in the coming times as it is all set to fight the Congress in the forthcoming assembly polls.
The party, which is yet to announce its list of star campaigners, is banking on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had a stint with Haryana during his pracharak days in the RSS. The saffron party is likely to propose 4 to 5 rallies of the Prime Minister in the poll-bound Haryana.
Sources have told Network18 that the Prime Minister will tour Haryana for his first rally on September 14, slated to take place at Kurukshetra. Apart from this, his other rallies in the run up to the elections will be in Palwal, Sonipat and Hisar. The BJP state leadership is convinced that through these rallies, the Prime Minister will be able to cover the entire state, which is divided into various zones.
Sources further said that the party may deploy multiple leaders from across the country for elections. However, in the seats that are bordering Uttar Pradesh, there has been a demand that some tall leaders from that state be asked to campaign in Haryana.
Those aware of the developments have told Network18 that the biggest demand in terms of rallies in the state is from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. “Given his plain speak, his focus on Hindus and his proven government performance, the demand for Yogi has been on the rise,” a source said.
List of Candidates
On Tuesday, the BJP will release its second list of candidates after having declared 67 out of the 90 assembly seat candidates earlier. The remaining list is likely to have the names of around 21 more candidates. “The BJP is in talks with Gopal Kanda’s party and is likely to give them one to 2 assembly seats. So essentially, the BJP will field 88 out of 90 candidates in total,” an office bearer told Network18.
As per the first list of 67 candidates, the BJP has changed nine candidate seats. Keeping the key issue of winnability in mind, the party will announce its seats. After Congress announced wrestler Vinesh Phogat as their candidate, many within the BJP ranks thought of the possibility of pitting her sister Babita Phogat against her. “Neither Babita nor Yogeshwar Dutt have been able to win the elections earlier, and it is unlikely that they stand a chance to win. We will not waste a seat just to make a political point,” a source told Network18, hinting that these players may not be given an assembly ticket this time around.
To arrive at the list of candidates, BJP leaders including national leaders have been assessing the ground situation for the past 18 months. The party has also relied on multiple surveys before coming up with a list of candidates. These lists were first shortlisted at the state level, then brought to the core committee meeting, and then further came to the central election committee meeting for finalisation.
Corruption, Dynasty Politics, Farmers’ Issues to be Highlighted
As far as the issues to focus on are concerned, the BJP has been relying heavily on local issues and the impact of the local leadership. While the Congress has not been able to declare its CM candidate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his recent visit to the state, declared that Nayab Singh Saini would be the party’s CM face. “This nervousness of the Congress party and their internal fight between the senior Hooda and Kumari Shailja has exposed the Congress design. A party which never spoke about parivarwaad or dynasty continues to be riled up in the same debate,” a BJP Leader told Network18.
Among other issues that the BJP will focus on will be the corruption of the Congress party and its continuity. The party, in its campaign, will highlight how Bhupinder Singh Hooda was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on his corrupt rule along with a member of the Gandhi family. “The corruption story is not over for the Congress party. In its desperation, the Congress party has awarded tickets to even those candidates who are currently jailed or are facing enquiry on corruption matters,” the leader added.
Development has taken centre stage under the Modi government and for the state government, which has been in power for the last decade, that’s a story that the BJP will want to tell the people of the state. “This is not like a government of the Congress, which worked on the development only of Rohtak and it was called Rohtak Sarkar, but it is the government which has worked for the entire state. That is why it was called Pradesh ki Sarkar,” the leader added.
On the other issues that the BJP will highlight in the state are how there was Sabka Saath and Sabka Vikas, and not appeasement of a certain community or a certain caste. “The Congress party has used the Jat sentiment for its vote bank. Even Dalits were used to secure their votes, but nothing was done for their upliftment,” a BJP leader said.
Among the other demands from the people in Haryana, the state government has announced permanency in government jobs. As far as the farmers’ welfare is concerned, this is the only state across the entire country where MSP has been given for all the 24 crops. “Recently, a package of Rs 1,200 crore was announced to cover up for the damages caused to the crops. In fact, a rate of Rs 2000 per hectare would be provided in such a situation. This only shows that our government has been committed to the cause of the annadata,” the BJP leader added.
A subsidy on gas cylinders is being provided for the public and the tubewell bills will also be waived off, the state leaders will highlight during the campaign.
“The Chief Minister has been available to meet anybody and everybody right around the clock and that actually speaks about the kind of leadership and support that the people of the state can rely on. It is also important to highlight this,” a source said adding that this would be a government working on a mission mode.
The BJP, which is almost ready with its manifesto, known as the Sankalp Patra, may also add a number of measures as its commitment for the people of the state. The vision document of the BJP is likely to be released in the third week of September.
The state of Haryana will go into elections in a single phase on October 5, 2024. The strength of the Haryana assembly is 90 seats. The BJP first came into power in the state in 2014, and then repeated its victory in 2019. The saffron party is seeking its third term in office in the upcoming polls.
This time, with the anti-incumbency of 10 years, staring in its face and several challenges including farmer protests, agitation by wrestlers, anti-Jat sentiment and a not so formidable state leadership, the BJP is facing a stiff challenge from the grand old party, Congress. In 2014, the BJP, after coming to power, had made Manohar Lal Khattar its CM and he was given a second term in 2019. But a few months ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha election, he was removed as the CM and brought to the Centre to fight Lok Sabha elections. He is currently a cabinet minister in the Modi government with crucial portfolios like Power and Urban Development.