Haryana elections 2024: BJP shatters 57-year record; conquers Jat bastion with 7 stunning new wins
In Haryana's 2024 elections, BJP achieved a historic victory, winning 48 seats, including seven in Jat strongholds and expanding its support
Haryana elections 2024: The BJP’s strategy in Haryana has succeeded for the third time, but with a twist. The party managed to rally non-Jat voters through its “Jat versus non-Jat” approach, while also winning seven new seats in Jat-dominated regions. For the first time in Haryana’s 57-year history, a party is set to form the government for the third consecutive term.
In the Assembly election results announced on October 8, the BJP secured a total of 48 seats in Haryana. In comparison, the party won 40 seats in 2019 and 47 seats in 2014. This time, the BJP managed to win 22 new seats while also retaining 26 existing ones
BJP retained 67% of its existing seats and won 22 new seats
In the 2019 Assembly elections in Haryana, the BJP won 40 seats. By 2024, it managed to retain 27 of those seats, meaning the party held onto 2 out of every 3 seats. Additionally, it secured 22 new seats.
On the other hand, while the Congress won 19 new seats, it failed to retain 50% of its previous seats, which minimised the overall benefit of the new gains.
BJP increased its seats in 4 out of 7 regions in Haryana
Haryana is divided into seven cultural and political zones. Compared to 2019, the BJP has increased its seat count in four of these regions. However, there was no change in the number of seats in the Bagad, South Haryana, and Mewat Belt regions.
GT Road Belt: Key region with a Punjabi majority
The GT Road Belt in Haryana includes six districts along the road from Delhi to Chandigarh: Panchkula, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Yamunanagar, Karnal, and Ambala, encompassing a total of 23 seats. A significant portion of the population in these districts comprises Punjabis who migrated from Pakistan during the 1947 partition. In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 21 seats from this region, which dropped to 12 in 2019. This time, the BJP managed to secure 14 seats in the GT Road Belt.
Bangar Belt: The Bangar Belt includes two Haryana districts, Jind and Kaithal, which border Punjab. These districts have a total of nine assembly seats. In 2014, the BJP won two of these seats, and in 2019, they won three. In the 2024 elections, the BJP improved its tally to five seats, gaining two additional seats. This area is known for its high groundwater levels, with agriculture being the primary occupation.
Deshwal Belt: Also known as Jatland, this belt covers the districts of Rohtak, Jhajjar, and Sonipat, comprising 14 Assembly seats. The BJP won four seats here in 2014 but managed only two in 2019. In the 2024 Assembly elections, the BJP regained ground, winning four seats again.
Bagar Belt: The Bagar Belt, bordering Rajasthan and Punjab, includes five districts—Hisar, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Bhiwani, and Charkhi Dadri—with a total of 21 Assembly seats. This area has a significant presence of Jat voters, alongside Bagri-speaking and Punjabi communities. The BJP won six seats from this belt in 2014 and increased that to eight in 2019. In 2024, the BJP maintained its position, securing eight seats again.
Ahirwal Belt: The Ahirwal Belt, dominated by Ahir communities, consists of Rewari, Mahendragarh, and Gurugram districts, with a total of 11 Assembly seats. The BJP won all 11 seats in 2014 but saw its tally drop to eight in 2019. In the recent elections, the party made a comeback, winning 10 seats in this belt.
South Haryana: This region includes the districts of Palwal and Faridabad, which border Uttar Pradesh. The area is influenced by the Braj language, with Gurjar voters playing a decisive role across its nine seats. The BJP won just three seats here in 2014 but improved to seven in 2019. In 2024, the party maintained its hold, again winning seven seats.
Mewat: Known as the 'Meo' region of Haryana, Mewat includes the Muslim-majority district of Nuh, with a total of three Assembly seats. The BJP failed to secure any seats here in both 2014 and 2019, and the 2024 elections saw no change, with the party again unable to gain a foothold. Approximately 70% of the population in Mewat is Muslim.
BJP wins 7 new seats in Jat strongholds
In Haryana, the BJP contested the elections for the third consecutive time using its ‘Jat versus non-Jat’ strategy.
The party won a total of 22 new seats, including seven in the Jat-dominated Bagar and Deshwal belts. Additionally, experts had considered the Punjabi and urban-dominated GT Road Belt a weak area for the BJP, but the party managed to secure seven new seats there as well.