Haryana Hat-trick: Did They Bewitch or Cast a Spell?

Winning through trickery doesn’t always have to be viewed negatively. It can mean captivating the public and garnering unique popularity. However, in today’s society, winning through trickery often implies some form of deception. BJP has managed to achieve a hat-trick victory in Haryana despite significant public opposition, leading to various opinions among the people questioning whether they bewitched or cast a spell.

It's a fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's influence across the country has diminished. The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party capable of forming a government in the central elections of 2014 and 2019, seems to lack that momentum heading into 2024. The terms "magic" and "spell," which we usually take positively, have not worked out in 2024. The outcome of this has led to a situation where leaders like Chandrababu Naidu, who formed last-minute alliances, have had to depend on what demands he makes, creating a situation where he must nod to everything. This scenario is now prevailing with Prime Minister Modi, whose waning influence is clear to everyone.

Regarding Haryana, not a single survey predicted a victory for the BJP. No exit polls indicated that any discrepancies would fall within a margin that would favor them. Many assumed that the INDIA coalition would secure a significant victory there. However, surprisingly, the BJP achieved a hat-trick. Based on this outcome, the BJP might argue that Modi's influence has risen again in the past hundred days. However, it should be considered that internal conflicts within Congress also contributed to their victory. Furthermore, suspicions linger among the public about whether the BJP engaged in any behind-the-scenes trickery in Haryana after the separation of Jammu and Kashmir.

Nevertheless, after the results, any prior public opposition seems to fade away. The ironic part is that the BJP also secured over 24% of the votes in Jammu and Kashmir, despite no expectations that they would come to power there. If all parties split the seats, the BJP may have hoped for a chance to be part of the ruling coalition through some form of trickery. However, with the clear majority of the INDIA coalition, comprising the NC and Congress, the BJP’s aspirations did not materialize there.