Congress workers, Jat voters look for options, may tilt towards BJP
The unexpected defeat of the Congress in the recent elections to the Haryana Assembly may harm the party's prospects in the state in future as well.
Meanwhile, the state BJP leadership has launched a membership drive to cash in on the politically charged atmosphere following its historic victory for the third consecutive time.
Having remained away from power for three Assembly elections in a row, a considerable chunk of Congress workers have started looking for other political alternatives.
"A number of leaders from other parties made a beeline to join the Congress in the run-up to the recent Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Haryana. However, in the wake of the Assembly poll results, the trend may reverse, with Congressmen leaving the party and joining other parties in hope of better prospects," said a Congress leader on condition of anonymity.
In the present scenario, the BJP appears to be the obvious rallying point for workers of Congress and other opposition parties in the state.
Political observers point out that Jat voters of Haryana, who largely used to back the INLD and its previous avtars launched by the late leader Devi Lal, had shifted their loyalties to the Congress after the emergence of Bhupinder Singh Hooda as a prominent leader. Now, they had started exploring other options.
"The Congress workers as well as voters, including members of the Jat community, are feeling saturated as the state's 'chaudhar' has eluded them for a decade and slipped out of their hands again. The political workers as well as community members are inclined towards political power and will naturally look for other alternatives," said Dr Jagbir Narwal, a political analyst and professor of public administration at Maharshi Dayanand University in Rohtak.
He maintained that the Jat voters were getting disillusioned with the Congress as Hooda might not be able to lead the party effectively till the next elections on account of his age, which indicated a leadership crisis in the party.
"A majority of Jat voters may have voted for the Congress in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, but a chunk of the community electors backed the BJP. As of now, the Jat voters are indecisive over their next political move, but many of them may tilt towards the BJP, AAP or regional parties," he stated.
Meanwhile, the state BJP leadership has launched a membership drive to cash in on the politically charged atmosphere following its historic victory for the third consecutive time.
"The BJP, which was considered to have a support base in the urban areas, has made inroads into the rural segment as well. The fresh membership drive will strengthen the party's base at the grassroots level," said a leader of the ruling party.
