Big setbacks: Leaders who suffered serious jolts in Haryana and J&K polls

Haryana gave a severe jolt to exit pollsters on results day (October 8), causing them to flunk yet another big test as all forecasts fell flat in the face of the BJP's imperious march to a third consecutive term. The Congress, whose side all major exit polls had taken, was left ruing what could have been. The J&K verdict, on the other hand, went mostly along predicted lines.

In both the states, the spotlight immediately fell on those for whom the verdicts were a big setback. Here we take a look at those who suffered big setbacks in today's poll results.

Iltija Mufti: PDP candidate and Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija Mehbooba Mufti lost the Srigufwara-Bijbehara battle to Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri of NC, conceding defeat after her rival took a sizeble lead at counting. Mufti eventually lost by 9,770 votes.


Ravinder Raina: BJP's Jammu & Kashmir unit chief Ravinder Raina has lost in the Nowshera assembly constituency in Rajouri district. Raina lost to National Conference's Surinder Kumar Choudhary by a margin of 7,819 votes, according to the Election Commission data.

Abhay Chautala: INLD's Abhay Chautala lost the Ellenabad seat, suffering a humiliating defeat to Congress candidate Bharat Singh Beniwal by a margin of 15,000 votes.

Dushyant Singh Chautala: JJP leader and former Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala faced defeat in the Uchana Kalan constituency, losing significant clout in the Jat-dominated region.

The Congress party: Congress was among the biggest losers in Haryana. Tipped by pollsters to win the state comfortably this time, the grand old party eventually came a distant second to BJP.

According to many political analysts, the party high command’s failure to handle intra-party differences (like between Bhupinder Hooda and Kumari Selja) had a big role in its electoral flop.