India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took the lead in the elections in the northern state of Haryana on Tuesday, overturning earlier trends that showed it trailing behind the main opposition party, Congress, according to various TV reports.
The elections in Haryana and the contentious region of occupied Jammu and Kashmir were conducted in phases that concluded on Saturday, marking the first major test of popularity for Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he began his unprecedented third term.
Exit polls had initially suggested a victory for Congress in Haryana and indicated a favorable position for the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.
Both Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir have legislatures consisting of 90 seats each.
Current counts show the BJP leading in 51 seats in Haryana, where it has been in power for a decade, while Congress is ahead in 33 seats, as reported by CNN-News18.
In Jammu and Kashmir, which held its first provincial elections in ten years—following its division into two federally administered territories in 2019—the Congress-NC alliance is currently leading in 49 seats, while the BJP is ahead in 27.
A win in Haryana would provide a significant boost for the BJP after its inability to secure a majority in the national elections, especially as it prepares for crucial provincial elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, both expected in November.
Maharashtra, an industrial powerhouse, is currently governed by a BJP coalition, whereas Jharkhand, rich in minerals, is ruled by an opposition alliance.
For Congress, a victory in Jammu and Kashmir would be a significant win for Rahul Gandhi, who has faced criticism for the party’s decline since Modi’s rise to power in 2014. Gandhi has also been a prominent figure in the opposition alliance that prevented Modi from achieving an outright majority in the parliamentary elections and currently serves as the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.
