After losing five seats to the main opposition party Congress in Haryana, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is assessing the factors behind its poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls and strategising for the forthcoming assembly elections scheduled for October this year. The Lok Sabha poll results and the voting patterns have added to the BJP’s woes, as the party lost five seats largely due to the displeasure of the Jat and SC communities, which together constitute around 45 to 50 per cent of the total voter base in the state. As part of its damage control strategy, the party has started allocating 100-yard plots to SC community members, while also exploring ways to woo the Jat community, which has been disgruntled with the party over several issues for some time.
The BJP is expected to appoint a new state party president as part of its preparations for the upcoming assembly polls. Since state president Nayab Saini was appointed Chief Minister on March 12, there has been ongoing speculation about other party stalwarts potentially replacing him as state president. Given the poll results and the current political climate, it is clear that caste considerations will play a significant role in the selection of the new state president. Consequently, the BJP is exploring potential candidates from various castes for this position.
Political experts suggest that BJP leaders from the Jat community are strong contenders for the post, given the election results and current political scenario. Among these are former state president OP Dhankhar, former finance minister Captain Abhimanyu, former state president and Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, and state General Secretary Surendra Poonia. OP Dhankhar’s chances are considered lower since he has previously held the state president post and currently serves as national secretary. Captain Abhimanyu, a close associate of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha in-charge for Assam in the last elections, is also a strong contender. Despite being denied a ticket in the last Lok Sabha elections after losing the previous assembly elections, his strong leadership makes him a significant candidate. Surendra Poonia, despite consecutive defeats in the 2014 and 2019 assembly elections, is also in the running for the state president position. Both Dhankhar and Abhimanyu have had confrontations with former Chief Minister Manohar Lal.
The Lok Sabha poll results clearly showed the Jat and SC communities’ preference for Congress over the BJP, weakening the BJP’s position. However, regional parties like the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and its rival Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) did not gain much favour from these communities. The BJP is now focused on addressing the dissatisfaction of both communities. Appointing a prominent leader from either the Jat or SC community as state president could improve the party’s standing. Notably, none of the five MPs who won the Lok Sabha elections are Jat, and among the three who have become Union Ministers, only Dharamvir, who won from Bhiwani Mahendragarh, belongs to these communities.
BJP leaders from the SC community are also being considered for the state president post, including Rajya Sabha member Krishna Lal Panwar, Chief Minister’s Chief Media Coordinator Sudesh Kataria, MP Sunita Duggal, Banto Kataria, Krishna Bedi, and Ashok Tanwar. Ashok Tanwar’s chances are lower due to his previous affiliations with AAP and Congress. Sudesh Kataria’s recent continuous activity increases his chances.
Political sources suggest that candidates from the Bania and Punjabi communities are also being considered for the state president post. Potential candidates include former Industry Minister Vipul Goyal and former media advisor to Chief Minister Rajiv Jain from the Bania community, and former Cooperation Minister Manish Grover and Anil Vij from the Punjabi community. Based on caste equations, BJP leaders from the Brahmin community, who make up about 8 per cent of the state’s voters, are also contenders. These include Ajay Gaur, former political secretary to former Chief Minister Manohar Lal, former Education Minister Prof. Ram Bilas Sharma, and Mohan Lal Badoli.
Notably, Sharma publicly criticised his party leaders ahead of the recent parliamentary polls.
