BJP And Congress Confident Ahead Of Haryana Vote Counting; Exit Polls Predict Congress Victory

As the counting of ballots for the 90-member Haryana Assembly election approaches, both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress have expressed confidence in securing victory. The election, held in a single phase on October 5, will have its results announced after counting begins at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Exit polls predict that Congress is poised to wrest power from the BJP, which has been in government for the past 10 years.

Congress Confident of Majority

Led by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Congress ran a high-energy campaign and is expected to win between 49 and 55 seats in the 90-member House. To form a government, a party needs to secure 46 seats. Hooda, the party’s likely candidate for the Chief Minister’s position, voiced his confidence that the Congress would form a government with a “thumping majority.” He also emphasized that the party’s vote share increased in all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana. Deepender Hooda, his son and a parliamentarian, echoed the same optimism, saying, “Tomorrow, the results will favor the Congress party.”

Congress leader Kumari Selja, MP from Sirsa, expressed similar confidence, saying the party would secure more than 60 seats. She noted that the final decision on the Chief Minister would be made by the Congress high command, following discussions in the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting.

BJP Predicts Historic Win

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the BJP candidate from Ladwa, dismissed the need for alliances, claiming that the BJP would win on its own for a third consecutive term. Anil Vij, former Haryana Home Minister and BJP candidate from Ambala Cantonment, remained unfazed by Congress’ claims. He remarked, “The results will be out soon, and Hooda will realize his worth.”

Despite the optimism on both sides, the election has turned into a multi-cornered contest, with Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), and several independent candidates — many of them BJP rebels — also vying for seats. In the 2019 Assembly election, the BJP secured 36.49% of the vote but fell short of the majority, forming a post-poll alliance with the JJP.

Record Voter Turnout in Key Areas

The 2024 Haryana elections saw a voter turnout of 67.90%. Sirsa district recorded the highest turnout at 75.36%, while Faridabad recorded the lowest at 56.49%. Constituency-wise, the highest voting was seen in Ellenabad, with 80.61%, while Badkhal had the lowest at 48.27%.

The Congress registered a 15% rise in its vote share in 2024 compared to the 2019 parliamentary elections. As counting day draws closer, all eyes remain on the outcome, which could potentially shift the political landscape of Haryana.

Also Read: Congress To Launch ‘Nyay Yatra’ In Delhi, Targets BJP And AAP Governments