In anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the ruling BJP in Haryana, which has held power for nearly a decade, is redirecting its focus to rural areas. In a bid to secure the support of rural voters, the Manohar government recently waived off pending water bills amounting to Rs 372 crore for over 28 lakh residents in rural areas. Simultaneously, the party is conducting the Vikas Bharat Sankalp Yatra, directly engaging with more than 6,500 villages across the state.
This strategic move is prompted by the party’s 21.5% decline in vote share within just five months, from 58.2% in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to 36.7% in the subsequent assembly elections. Although the BJP won all 10 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, the reduced vote share led to a lack of absolute majority in the assembly, necessitating the formation of a coalition government.
Approximately 60% of Haryana’s voters have rural connections, prompting the BJP to intensify its efforts in villages to prevent a recurrence of the 2019 scenario.
Political analysts in Haryana highlight that around 25% of the state’s population consists of Jats, who remain displeased with the BJP due to the events surrounding the Jat reservation movement in 2016. Recognizing this discontent, the BJP has actively pursued non-Jat politics in the predominantly Jat-influenced state.
In the 2019 assembly elections, rural voters favored Congress, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) over the BJP. BJP struggled in Jat-dominated regions like Bagar, Bangar, and Khadar, failing to secure an absolute majority.
To address concerns arising from the farmers’ agitation, especially among Jats, the BJP is implementing an aggressive strategy in rural areas. The Vikas Bharat Sankalp Yatra serves as a direct channel to rural voters, promoting various schemes initiated by the BJP at both the central and state levels. Additionally, district-level officials are addressing citizens’ issues on the spot during the yatra.
The state government has instructed district officers to promptly resolve problems raised during the Vikas Bharat Sankalp Yatra events in villages. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar recently announced plans to sign an MoU with African countries, facilitating the exchange of agricultural knowledge. The government aims to send Haryana farmers to African nations to learn modern farming and irrigation techniques. Subsidies for farmers to travel to Vietnam are also in the pipeline to expose them to the latest agricultural technologies.