In a surprising turn of events, the latest leads from Haryana suggest that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to secure a hat-trick victory in the state, contrary to earlier predictions that favored the Congress. As of 11 AM, the BJP is leading in 48 out of the 90 Assembly constituencies, while the Congress trails with leads in 35 constituencies. This shift in momentum comes as an aggregate of seven exit polls initially projected a Congress victory, estimating that the party would win 55 seats, surpassing the halfway mark of 45, while the BJP was expected to secure only 26 seats.
Celebrations erupted outside the Congress headquarters in New Delhi even before the counting of votes commenced, with party supporters seen dancing to the beats of dhols in anticipation of a favorable outcome. However, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini expressed unwavering confidence in the BJP’s ability to form the government for a third consecutive term.
Saini, who took over the chief ministership from former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in March, highlighted the developmental strides made by the party over the past decade. “We have done a lot of development work in the past 10 years. The kind of system set up by former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will continue to bring benefits for Haryana for a long time. It is our responsibility to take this good work forward,” he stated to reporters this morning.
The contrasting narratives from exit polls and live leads raise questions about the accuracy of polling predictions and voter sentiment. As counting continues, both parties will be keenly watching the results to understand the electorate’s mood in Haryana, a key state in Indian politics.