Ahead of elections in Haryana, the political atmosphere is heating up. While specific announcements aimed at attracting youth and women voters are pending, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has already started targeting Congress by unveiling loan waivers and minimum support prices for farmers.
Congress has yet to disclose its strategies but is expected to also focus on appealing to farmers. The BJP has also tackled two other issues simultaneously by pressuring Congress to name a Chief Ministerial candidate from a backward caste.
On Monday in Chandigarh, BJP State In-Charge General Secretary Satish Poonia directly challenged Congress to announce a CM candidate from a backward class. This move not only seeks to win over the crucial farmer vote bank but also aims to highlight and potentially exploit Congress’s stance on backward caste representation.
The BJP has introduced caste issues into the Haryana political arena, aiming to corner Congress while simultaneously addressing the concerns of farmers, youth, and women.
By focusing on caste politics, the BJP seeks to place Congress in a difficult position, especially since BJP has already declared OBC leader Nayab Singh Saini as its Chief Ministerial candidate.
Congress has yet to officially announce its CM candidate, though the prevailing sentiment in the state suggests that former CM Bhupendra Singh Hooda will be the likely choice.
The BJP’s approach is designed to create confusion and potential discontent among the backward classes and Jat voters, two segments which Congress relies on for support.
The BJP’s strategy includes offering MSP and loan waivers to farmers and Jats, strengthening its appeal to these groups. If the BJP succeeds in leveraging caste politics to its advantage, it could significantly weaken Congress’s position and potentially secure a third term in office.
Meanwhile, Congress faces internal divisions between the Hooda and Shailaja factions, each with its own support base—Hooda representing the Jat community and Shailaja from the ST community. The BJP aims to capitalize on this factionalism to enhance its own prospects.
Congress’s supreme leader Rahul Gandhi is continuously targeting BJP by doing backward class politics. So to send a stern reply, in a strategic move, BJP has played the backward card after careful consideration.
In the Lok Sabha elections, Congress caused great damage to BJP by making the issue of Constitution being in danger and abolition of reservation. Now that it is clear that the opposition has spread confusion among the public by lying, BJP has become aggressive.
This is the reason why in Lok Sabha, first Anurag Thakur and then Nishikant Dubey attacked Congress fiercely on caste. MP Dubey targeted Priyanka Gandhi along with Rahul and touched the nail on the head of Congress. In a way, Congress seems to be getting trapped in BJP’s trap. BJP knows that Rahul Gandhi will not dare to declare a CM from ST class at any cost.
Due to this, BJP has now started challenging Congress by making caste an issue in Haryana. BJP’s strategy is to corner Congress on caste politics after appeasing farmers, youth and women. Because if the caste card is played in Haryana, Congress will be in trouble.
BJP has declared OBC face Nayab Singh Saini as its CM candidate. Congress has not declared any face yet and will not do so either.
But the message in the entire state is that former CM Bhupendra Singh Hooda will be the CM of Congress. If the move made by BJP works, Congress will suffer a big loss.
Firstly, the message will go to the backward classes that Congress is not in their favour.
Secondly, the Jat vote will also be confused. Congress’s full hope is on Jat and Dalit voters only. BJP also knows that if Jat and Dalit votes are divided, it will get strength.