Chandigarh: From social realignment to strategic gains, BJP’s decade-long plan bears fruit.
Defying the odds and overturning Haryana’s traditional political power dynamics, the BJP has staged an extraordinary political transformation in Haryana—turning it into a fertile ground for the saffron lotus to bloom consistently and sturdily.
Defying the challenges posed by the farmers’ agitation and widespread criticism of the Agniveer scheme, the saffron party has carved out an enduring stronghold through strategic social engineering, meticulous planning, and an unwavering focus on non-Jat communities, especially on OBCs, Dalits and Brahmins. In a historic move, the BJP has managed to secure a third consecutive term in the state—an achievement considered near-impossible just a decade ago.
Haryana, known for producing every tenth soldier in the Indian Army and once the epicentre of the 2020-21 farmers’ protests, presented formidable obstacles for the BJP. Yet, the party’s ability to weather these storms and entrench itself in power is a testament to its transformative strategies. Haryana, where BJP had virtually no major presence before 2014, has now been seen as a stronghold of the BJP, thanks to the party’s well-calculated shift toward non-Jat and OBC communities, alongside its strategy of sidelining the once-dominant Jat-centric political order.
A DECADE OF SOCIAL ENGINEERING
Historically, Haryana’s political landscape was dominated by Jat stalwarts like Devi Lal, Bansi Lal, O.P. Chautala, and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who ruled for over 33 years between 1967 and 2014. However, the 2014 Modi wave changed the political calculus. For the first time, the BJP swept the state, marking the beginning of a new political order. In all the three elections BJP’s vote share in Haryana continued to rise from 33.20% in 2014, to 36.49% in 2019 and reached 39.09% in 2024.
The BJP’s first major step in dismantling the traditional Jat hegemony was the selection of Manohar Lal, a non-Jat and Punjabi leader, as Chief Minister in 2014. It was a move that shattered long-held assumptions about Jat political dominance after 18 years. Manohar Lal’s selection allowed the BJP to consolidate its base in the GT Road belt, home to a significant Punjabi population, while also uniting non-Jat voters across Haryana, particularly in the Ahirwal and northern regions.
In the last decade, the BJP has been able to strategically shift the focus toward OBCs, Dalits, and Brahmins. The party’s focus on these groups led to sweeping electoral victories, including the 2019 Assembly elections and securing 22 out of Haryana’s 30 Lok Sabha seats over the past three general elections. Besides winning all five Rajya Sabha seats as well.
TARGETING KEY VOTER BASES
In its bid to weaken the Jat stronghold, the BJP began positioning itself as the party of the marginalized. The 2019 Assembly elections were a watershed moment, as the BJP fielded Manohar Lal again, going up against three prominent Jat leaders—Bhupinder Singh Hooda of Congress, Abhay Chautala of INLD, and Dushyant Chautala of JJP. Although the BJP fell short of a majority with 40 seats, it successfully formed a coalition with the JJP, securing a stable government.
This time around, in the 2024 Assembly elections, the BJP doubled down on its social engineering strategy, announcing Nayab Saini, an OBC leader, as the chief ministerial candidate ahead of the polls. This move helped the party secure 39.94% of the vote, edging out the Congress at 39.09% and winning 11 more seats than its main rival. Saini, an OBC face, defeated Congress’ Mewa Singh in the Ladwa constituency, a seat with over 35,000 Jat voters, proving that the BJP’s appeal was no longer confined to traditional caste lines. The BJP’s success was not limited to non-Jat areas. The party also made significant inroads into Jat-dominated constituencies by fielding non-Jats. In constituencies long held by Jat leaders—like Rai, Tosham, Badhra, Assandh, and Dadri—the BJP used a calculated mix of caste alignment and political messaging to secure victories.
Furthermore, the BJP fielded 16 Jat candidates in these elections, ensuring that it did not alienate the powerful Jat voter base entirely. This worked well for the party as it won several seats in Bhiwani, Sonipat, Charkhi-Dadri, Hisar, Jind and Panipat districts. However, the most significant victories came from Brahmin-dominated constituencies like Gohana, and Palwal, where the BJP’s decision to field Brahmin candidates in Jat strongholds paid off handsomely.
CLEAN GOVERNMENT AND TARGETED POLICIES
Political observers point to the BJP’s decade-long rule under Manohar Lal as a key reason for its sustained success. In contrast to the INLD’s five years from 2000 to 2005 and then Congress government under Bhupinder Singh Hooda, which was mired in corruption allegations—ranging from land deals to government appointments—the BJP administration maintained a relatively clean image.
The BJP government prided itself on recruitment and welfare schemes that were implemented without the need for “kharchi, parchi” (bribery and favoritism), a message that resonated with voters frustrated by years of Jat-dominant rule.
The BJP’s emphasis on fair governance, combined with its appeal to non-Jat communities, Brahmins, and OBCs, helped the party overcome the challenges of anti-incumbency. Even in the face of criticism over the Agniveer scheme and the farmers’ protests, the party managed to maintain its base.
LONG-TERM STRATEGY PAID OFF
The BJP’s rise in Haryana is a case study in social engineering and strategic planning. From a marginal presence in the early 2000s—where it won just two to four seats in state elections—the BJP now dominates Haryana’s political landscape. The party’s shift toward non-Jat communities, combined with its focus on key regions like the GT Road and Ahirwal belts, has cemented its status as the dominant force in a state that was once the playground of Jat political dynasties.
With Nayab Saini’s ascension and the consolidation of its non-Jat vote bank, the BJP has not only redefined Haryana’s political identity but has also paved the way for a long-term presence in a state where its future seemed uncertain just a decade ago.
About BJP’s rise in Haryana, media secretary to the Caretaker Chief Minister Nayab Saini and BJP spokesperson Praveen Attrey, said, “The biggest reason behind BJP’s rise is that the government has heard the voice of every section of society and we succeeded in providing corruption free government. Also the opposition slammed the Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) scheme, but it worked well for the BJP as it helped the people of the state to get benefits of around 500 government schemes while sitting at home.”