Himachal, Gujarat results set the tone for 2024 Haryana polls

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh, December 8

With the Congress all set to form the government in Himachal Pradesh, the mood in the state unit is ecstatic even as the ruling BJP is celebrating its grand victory in Gujarat and AAP is enthused about becoming a “national party” after its gains in Gujarat.

Buoyed by the result in neighbouring HP, the state Congress, readying to welcome the Bharat Jodo Yatra next month, is already upbeat.

Haryana leaders celebrate

• Ex-minister Ram Bilas Sharma celebrated the BJP’s win in Gujarat by distributing sweets among party workers in Mahendragarh
• He said the BJP’s landslide victory had again proved that it was the only party that could ensure the overall development of the state
• Rewari MLA Chiranjeev Rao also distributed sweets in his segment to mark the Cong’s win in HP
• He said, “The BJP’s countdown has started. People of Haryana are waiting for the Assembly polls to oust it as it has failed on all fronts.”

Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda said the downward spiral for the ruling BJP started in the Adampur bypoll and the HP election result had only strengthened the Congress position further.

“This mood of discarding the BJP will be seen in every election. In the Adampur bypoll, the BJP won only because the candidate emerged victorious from all Bishnoi villages. In most of the other booths, especially of the reserved classes, the Congress won. I have already said that the BJP will be wiped out from Haryana in the next election,” Hooda said, adding that AAP’s only contribution to any election was to play spoilsport without any gains.

Meanwhile, the mood in AAP is positive too after it won the recently concluded Delhi MC elections and even got a foothold in Gujarat by winning six seats, though the HP results came as a dampener.

“We were focusing on the Gujarat and Delhi MC elections. If our candidates can win in Gujarat where we have no base, the game is surely open in Haryana. We are now a national party with governments in Delhi and Punjab and a presence in Gujarat,” an AAP leader claimed, adding that the party would focus on Haryana now.

Ecstatic with the party’s thumping win in Gujarat, the BJP said it was a vote for the policies and good governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The Haryana Government led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is carrying out development, framing public-centric policies and using technology to the advantage of the people. Add to that the Modi magic and there is no question we will not repeat,” a senior BJP leader said.

Haryana goes to the polls in October 2024, a few months after the parliamentary elections. While AAP has been struggling to find a place among the mainstream political parties in Haryana, the Congress is trying to build itself up in the run-up to the next Assembly polls.