Nayab Singh Saini’s leadership engaged OBC voters for the BJP, prompting plans to replicate this outreach strategy in Uttar Pradesh.
New Delhi: After emerging as the largest party in the recently held Haryana Assembly Elections, defying exit polls, and securing a third consecutive win in the Northern state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now focused on repeating its success in the upcoming by-polls in Uttar Pradesh.
The saffron party won a clear majority of 48 out of 90 assembly constituencies in Haryana, despite exit polls and social media campaigns favouring the Congress.
This marks the first time a political party has secured three consecutive terms in Haryana. A key factor in BJP’s success was the leadership change six months before the election, with Nayab Singh Saini replacing Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister.
Saini, an OBC leader, helped the BJP connect with OBC voters, leading to a significant surge in support. BJP insiders suggest the party will apply a similar strategy in Uttar Pradesh by focusing on OBC outreach.
Rajya Sabha member and BJP OBC Morcha National President Dr K. Laxman said the party will launch a series of campaigns in UP, aiming to send a clear message that the BJP is committed to OBC rights and opposes divisive politics. Laxman attributed the Congress’ defeat in Haryana to divisive tactics and Rahul Gandhi’s statements, which he called “immature.”
As the BJP prepares for the by-polls in Uttar Pradesh, it will highlight the development work done for OBCs and other communities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership. This comes after the BJP’s surprising loss in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance won 43 out of 80 seats, compared to the BJP’s 33, down from 62 in 2019. The BJP attributed the loss to administrative issues and insufficient outreach to OBC and Dalit voters.
While Congress nearly doubled its Lok Sabha tally, its defeats in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir have raised questions about Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, and the upcoming Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections will serve as a test for him.