 "Priyanka Gandhi, Priyanka, Rahul, Rahul Gandhi")
Ambala: Leader of Oppostion in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with party leader Priyanka Gandhi during a public meeting for Haryana Assembly elections, at Naraingarh, in Ambala district, Haryana, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (Photo: PTI)
The Congress party may return to power in Haryana after a 10-year drought, unseating the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the Assembly elections, exit polls showed on Saturday. According to Bhaskar Reporters’ Poll survey, the Congress is likely to win around 44-54 seats in Haryana, while the BJP may be limited to 19-29 seats.
The Bhaskar survey predicted 1-5 seats for the INLD-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance. Notably, INLD had won just one seat last time in 2019. For JJP and its ally Chandra Shekhar Azad-led Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), the survey predicted up to one seat. The JJP had won 10 seats last time and emerged as the kingmaker in the poll. It had extended its support to the BJP, which won 40 seats, and helped the saffron party form a coalition government in Haryana. However, their alliance collapsed ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
According to ABP Matrize exit poll prediction, Congress may win 55-62 seats while the BJP could win up to 24 seats. It said that INLD may win up to six seats while others are projected to win 2-8 seats.
Polling for all 90 constituencies in Haryana was held on Saturday, in which about 61 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 5 pm. The Congress has been exuding confidence about winning the elections as it claimed the BJP is facing anti-incumbency in the state.
However, earlier today, Union Minister and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar dismissed the Opposition’s claims, while noting that the Congress is struggling with internal discord.
“There is a pall of gloom in the Congress’ camp. It’s chaotic there,” he said.
Former Congress Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda is the frontrunner for the CM post, but party leaders Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala have also expressed their interest in the race. Meanwhile, the BJP has confirmed that incumbent CM Nayab Singh Saini will continue if the party wins.
First Published: Oct 05 2024 | 7:34 PM IST
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