Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Exit polls indicate that the Congress may finish the year on a high note, securing a potential victory in Haryana and leading the race in Jammu and Kashmir alongside its ally, the National Conference. However, the Jammu and Kashmir election may result in a hung assembly, according to aggregated exit poll data.
An analysis of four exit polls suggests that Congress is poised to win 55 of Haryana’s 90 assembly seats, comfortably surpassing the halfway mark of 45, signaling an end to the BJP’s 10-year reign in the state.
Haryana’s Electoral Landscape
The BJP, which has governed Haryana for the past decade, is projected to secure just 24 seats in the state. While two exit polls—Dhruv Research and People’s Pulse—offered the BJP a higher estimate of 32 seats, it still remains well below the majority threshold.
In contrast, smaller parties like Abhay Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) may secure three seats, and the BJP’s former ally, the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), could manage only one. Interestingly, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), despite its dominance in neighboring Delhi and Punjab, is not expected to make any significant gains in Haryana.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Fractured Mandate
Jammu and Kashmir, which held its first assembly election in a decade following delimitation, appears to be headed for a fractured mandate. An aggregate of three exit polls predicts that the Congress-National Conference alliance may secure 43 seats in the 90-member assembly—just shy of the majority mark of 46.
The BJP, projected to win 26 seats, remains far from achieving a majority. Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is expected to win eight seats, may emerge as a potential kingmaker in the likely event of a hung assembly.
Potential Alliances and Challenges
The prospect of a hung assembly in Jammu and Kashmir could lead to intense post-election negotiations, with the PDP potentially playing a pivotal role in shaping the region’s political landscape.
While exit polls often provide a glimpse into potential outcomes, they can sometimes be off the mark. The final results, due on October 8, will determine the political future of both Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.
