Candidate selection, party management and election campaign played an important role in the Bharatiya Janata Party win for the third time in Haryana. People may call our victory a miracle, but our hard work is behind it.’ This is the statement of Haryana BJP in-charge Satish Poonia. After the formation of BJP government for the third time, Satish Poonia, in a special conversation with The Daily Guardian, shares every detail of his journey from becoming the state in-charge to the BJP’s third consecutive government in Haryana. When asked about Naib Singh Saini potentially becoming Chief Minister again, he stated that they campaigned under his leadership, but the final decision is made during the Legislative Party meeting. Here are the edited excerpts from the interview:
Question: When you were made in-charge of Haryana, what challenges did you face at that time and how did overcome those challenges?
Answer: I was made in-charge of Haryana just a few days before the Lok Sabha elections. Till that time, the concept was that BJP is going to play a losing game in Haryana. After that, I got less time, but for the Lok Sabha elections, we looked at the previous election results and the mood of the public. After that, I came to the conclusion that we can win 8 out of 10 Lok Sabha seats here. When the results came, we lost three more seats. However, BJP lost these three seats by a margin of only 20-22 thousand. In this context, we observed that in the Lok Sabha election results, we secured 44 seats at the assembly level. We viewed these results positively, and now the outcomes of the assembly elections are evident to the nation.
Question: Losing five seats in the Lok Sabha must have significantly affected your morale.
Answer: When the Lok Sabha election results were announced, we secured five seats. While many claimed that the BJP only won five seats, I viewed it differently: despite facing unfavorable narratives, we managed to achieve this victory. In the name of reservation, Congress spread confusion in the Lok Sabha elections and many protests took place. In this situation, our morale remained strong despite the Lok Sabha election results. However, as we engaged with the public in preparation for the assembly elections, we sensed a renewed hope that we could achieve a positive outcome.
Question: It’s common to observe anti-incumbency sentiments after a party has been in power for a decade, and this trend was evident in Haryana as well. What strategy was implemented to address this situation?
Answer: Look, if we look at the earlier background of Haryana, it has been against the Congress. People there did not love the Congress and they had no distance from the BJP. Congress attempted to connect the Constitution with the soldier, farmer, and wrestler, trying to mislead the public. In contrast, we engaged with the people by highlighting the achievements of both the central and state governments, addressing their grievances. As a result, voters chose to support the BJP in the elections. Historically, Congress hasn’t shown much regard for the people, even prior to 2014. However, during that time we could not form the government because till then we used to contest elections as a coalition. For the first time in 2014, we contested on all 90 seats and got 47 seats and formed the government. Next time we again secured 40 seats. When the 2019 assembly election results were analyzed, we were second in 37 seats. In such a situation, our presence was excellent in 65 to 70 seats. Keeping all these in mind, this time we performed even better.
Question: You might agree with me or not… However, even BJP leaders themselves had not anticipated this victory, that too with a clear majority. So, who will you credit for this victory?
Answer: Selection of candidates, party management and election campaign play a very important role in the victory. People may call our victory a miracle, but our hard work is behind it. We organized four rallies of Modi ji. These rallies were very successful. We got full support of Amit Shah and Nadda ji. We got amazing support from the four in-charges. It often happens that there is a rift among people, but we all divided our work and worked in an excellent manner. We excelled by dividing responsibilities effectively. The local team in Haryana collaborated closely with the in-charges. This election showcased our strengths in organization, management, and campaigning. Ultimately, the dedication of our workers paid off, leading to our victory.
Question: There were three focal points of Congress leadership in Haryana elections. Did the presence of three key figures in the Congress leadership provide an advantage to the BJP in the results?
Answer: Look, there was no such thing as an organization in Congress. There is a BJP worker at every booth. There was no conflict over leadership here. There were three people claiming to be the chief minister. There was a tussle between Kumari Selja, Surjewala and Hooda and there was a dispute going on between all these leaders. It is certain that the weakness of the enemy also proves helpful in winning the battle. The hard work of our workers played a crucial role in our victory. While Congress was under a misconception, we remained grounded in reality, consistently focusing on our efforts and executing effective social engineering. As a result, we secured 8 out of 17 ST seats and achieved wins across Jatland, urban, and rural areas. We emerged victorious in every district of Haryana, receiving support from all sections of society.
Question: When the central government brought the agricultural law, it was strongly opposed. In such a situation, what would you like to say about that movement after the election results.
Answer: One thing has become clear that the farmers’ movement was sponsored by the Congress. The things that were behind the scenes have come out. Between the Lok Sabha and the assembly elections, every point of that protest has come before the public. Only a small number of individuals participated in that protest, but it created a significant perception. However, by the time the assembly elections approached, the urgency of the protest had diminished. The criticisms directed at the BJP due to the protest had little impact overall, with noticeable effects only in Sirsa district. We plan to strengthen our organization in that area.
Question: It is being said that Non-Jat voters supported BJP, due to which the government was formed. To what extent is it true that Jats did not support BJP.
Answer: Congress engages in caste and religious politics to secure vote banks, while we aim to connect with every community. Approximately 25 to 30 percent of Jats voted for us, and we secured victories even in Jat-dominated assembly constituencies. Therefore, it’s not entirely accurate to claim that Jats exclusively supported Congress. For instance, in Sonipat, traditionally seen as Hooda’s stronghold in Jatland, we won four seats. There are several other Jat-majority areas where our party’s MLAs emerged victorious. It’s the Congress party that seeks to divide Jats from non-Jats; we strive to unite everyone.
Question: Will Nayab Singh Saini be the next Chief Minister of Haryana?
Answer: Look, there is a protocol of the party in this. The legislative party decides the Chief Minister, but Nayab Singh Saini was the face of the party in the elections and the elections were fought in his name. People have expressed faith in his face.
At present, it would be premature to say anything about the Chief Minister, because there is internal democracy in BJP and it is decided in the meeting of the legislative party. For that, the meeting of the legislative party should be awaited.
Question: How significant was the decision to remove Manohar Lal Khattar and make Nayab Singh the Chief Minister before the elections? How do you see it?
Answer: Every political party in the country and abroad makes changes and we also made changes. In this election, Khattar ji’s experience was useful for us and so was Nayab Singh’s energy. We benefited from the experience and energy of both. If the Chief Minister is changed in another party, there is a ruckus, but in our case, not even a leaf moved. Khattar ji is a senior leader of our party and the party is taking advantage of his experience everywhere.
Question: Will the victory in Haryana be able to do wonders in the by-elections of Rajasthan?
Answer: Yes, absolutely. The victory in Haryana has infused enthusiasm and brought energy to BJP workers across the country. People have once again expressed their trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Along with the by-elections in Rajasthan, we will also win the elections of Jharkhand and Maharashtra to be held in the
coming time.