In a bold political move, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann declared on Thursday that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be contesting all 90 seats in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. This announcement marks a significant expansion of AAP’s political ambitions beyond its traditional strongholds in Delhi and Punjab.
Mann’s declaration comes amid recent strains between AAP and Congress, two principal members of the INDIA bloc. The rift arose after both parties traded blame for their disappointing performance in Delhi during the recent parliamentary elections. This political friction has heightened the stakes for the forthcoming Haryana polls, with AAP keen to capitalize on the opportunity to establish a foothold in the state.
The Election Commission of India (EC) has already initiated meetings with Haryana’s poll officials in preparation for the elections later this year. As major political parties gear up for the contest, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has intensified the BJP’s campaign efforts. Shah urged Haryana’s Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to secure a decisive victory for the BJP, stressing the need for a “full majority” government rather than a coalition reliant on “crutches” to sustain itself.
Support from OBCs and upper castes is crucial for the BJP’s strategy to retain power in Haryana for a third consecutive term. The state’s Chief minister has also promised to increase the reservation for backward classes in Group-A and Group-B posts from 15% to 27%, aligning with the central government’s policies.
The 2024 Lok Sabha results provided a mixed outcome for Haryana’s political landscape. The Congress secured five of the ten seats, including those reserved for Scheduled Castes and Jat-dominated constituencies. Conversely, the BJP won in Karnal, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, and Kurukshetra, largely due to support from OBCs and upper castes. Despite this, the BJP’s vote share fell from 58.20% in 2019 to 46.11% in 2024.
In contrast, the INDIA bloc’s combined vote share exceeded the BJPs in 2024, with Congress obtaining 43.67% and AAP securing 3.94% from its single contest in Kurukshetra. This performance underscores the growing influence of the opposition bloc and sets the stage for a fiercely contested Haryana Assembly election.
AAP’s comprehensive contest across all seats in Haryana reflects its strategic shift and heightened ambitions. As the election season progresses, it will be pivotal to observe how AAP’s campaign strategies unfold and whether they can disrupt the existing political dynamics in Haryana.
