Haryana Assembly Elections: BJP Holds Edge in Early Counts, Congress Gives Tough Competition

The counting of votes in the Haryana assembly elections is underway, and the early trends have set the stage for a gripping contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. BJP is vying for a third consecutive term, leading in 46 out of 90 assembly seats, while the Congress has gained traction in 38 constituencies. At the outset of the counting, the Congress had a lead, briefly crossing the pivotal halfway mark of 46 seats. However, the BJP has made a strong comeback, with 45 seats to the Congress's 38.

In individual constituencies, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is maintaining his lead in Ladwa, located in Kurukshetra district, while Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda is ahead in Garhi Sampla-Kiloi in Rohtak district.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who is contesting from Julana in the Jind district, is leading. After a tumultuous year that included her disqualification from the Olympics, Vinesh joined the Congress party. Early trends suggest she is leading against BJP's Yogesh Bajrangi, a former Army captain and commercial pilot with a strong background in rescue operations.

BJP veteran Anil Vij is facing off against Congress rebel Chitra Sarwara and Congress candidate Parvinder Pal Pari in the Ambala Cantt constituency. Despite trailing behind Parvinder Pal Pari in early counts, Vij remains confident about his chances, citing his previous accomplishments in the area. The Ambala Cantt constituency has been a BJP stronghold in recent years, making this race particularly significant.

Meanwhile, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan is leading from the Hodal assembly seat by a margin of nearly 2,000 votes over BJP’s Harinder Singh. Chief Minister Saini, in Ladwa, has polled over 8,000 votes and is currently ahead by 840 votes.

In the 2019 Haryana assembly elections, the BJP secured 40 seats, while the Congress obtained 31 and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) won 10. Following these results, the BJP formed a government with support from the JJP, appointing Dushyant Chautala as deputy chief minister. However, this post-poll alliance dissolved when Nayab Singh Saini took over as chief minister. In the subsequent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP's performance declined, winning only five out of the ten seats in Haryana after having swept all of them in the previous elections.​