Non-jat likely to head first BJP regime in Haryana

NEW DELHI: For the first time ever, BJP has won an absolute majority in Haryana, winning a brave gamble to go it alone in a state where its best performance so far was 29 seats, and that too in partnership with INLD. By winning 47 of the 90 seats this time, BJP has altered the political equations of a state that has been dominated by jat leaders.

In this election, BJP focused on non-Jat votes, assessing that the Jat vote was likely to be divided between O P Chautala's INLD and Bhupinder Hooda's Congress. While the party has not yet decided on its chief minister, indications are that it will be a non-Jat.

INLD has come second with 19 seats, while Congress - like in Maharashtra - is a poor third with just 15 seats. INLD had secured 31 seats the last time, while Congress had won 40 seats. INLD's failure to turn the anti-Congress tide in its favour is significant given that Chautala, convicted in a corruption case, had pulled out all stops campaigning while on bail secured on medical grounds.

Riding high on the momentum generated during the Lok Sabha polls, when it led in 51 assembly segments in the state, BJP decided to strike out on its own. Its move was helped by its erstwhile partner Haryana Janhit Congress insisting on a 50:50 seat-sharing ratio, even though it had failed to win either of the two seats it had fought in the Lok Sabha election.

The election results have also come as a blow to some dynastic aspirants and political wannabes. Elder sons of former chief ministers Bhajan Lal and Bansi Lal lost their seats while one of the three members of INLD clan did not find favour with the voters. Congress's Ranbir Singh Mahendra, son of late Bansi Lal, lost from Badhra assembly constituency, while Bhajan Lal's elder son Chander Mohan lost from Nalwa segment. Mohan's brother Kuldip Bishnoi, however, won his seat. Similarly, while Chautala's son Abhay and his daughter-in-law Naina Singh won, Chautala's grandson Dushyant Chautala lost his seat.

Business-turned-politician Venod Sharma, father of Manu Sharma who has been convicted for Jessica Lall's murder and who struck out on his own after talks with BJP failed, lost from Ambala city, while Gopal Kanda, charged with abetting the suicide of his employee Geetika Sharma, lost from Sirsa from where he contested on the ticket of a party floated by himself.