Despite facing setbacks on five parliamentary seats at the hands of the main opposition Congress party, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has suffered a series of blows, including widened rifts between party stalwarts accusing each other of electoral defeat, withdrawal of support by three independent legislators, and the anti-incumbency factor due to its ten-year rule. Notably, the Congress has been a divided house in the state for a long time, and several BJP heavyweights now seem embroiled in a battle of dominance following the party’s defeat.
After losing the elections, many party candidates accused other leaders within the BJP of working against them and aiding candidates from other parties. Rao Inderjit, a veteran leader with significant influence in southern Haryana, has been continuously criticising his party, claiming he is being ignored. He has publicly raised questions about the BJP state leadership, asserting that he is not given the necessary attention as per his stature.
Rao Inderjit, after quitting Congress, became an MP on a BJP ticket for the third consecutive time and was given the post of Union Minister of State each time, but he and his supporters are pressuring the government. They argue that despite Rao’s influence over more than a dozen seats, he is only a Minister of State while younger and first-time MPs are made full-fledged cabinet ministers, which is disappointing. Political experts believe this tension is exacerbated by his strained relationship with Manohar Lal, who has a significant portfolio in Energy, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and was previously the CM of Haryana.
The BJP is continuously organizing rallies in southern Haryana to galvanize support. Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a rally in South Haryana a few months ago, and Home Minister Amit Shah recently participated in another rally for the BC community. Rao Inderjit has widespread acceptability over a dozen seats in Southern Haryana, and the BJP is leveraging his stronghold to win as many seats as possible. These seats include Rewari, Bawal, Kosli, Mahendragarh, Narnaul, Nangal Chaudhary, Gurugram, Sohna, Badshahpur, Pataudi, Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirka, and Punhana. Concurrently, Haryana Congress has also increased its activities in South Haryana to strengthen its position. The BJP is making every effort to win as many seats as possible in the Ahirwal belt, acknowledging Rao Indrajit’s electoral support there.
The formation of the new cabinet in March 2024 saw Rao Indrajit’s opponents gain cabinet positions, while one of his supporters, former minister OP Yadav, was denied a berth, a significant blow to Rao. Furthermore, his arch-rival Abhay Singh Yadav was given a cabinet berth, indicating the party’s intention to prevent Rao from having unilateral control in South Haryana. BJP wanted to make Abhay Singh Yadav a minister earlier, but due to Rao’s disagreement, it did not happen. Although PM Narendra Modi recently referred to Rao as his friend at a program in Gurugram and the BJP fielded him from the Gurugram seat for the third time, Rao’s discontent persists.
Rao Inderjit has consistently claimed the Chief Minister’s post, stating that the path to power in Haryana goes through southern Haryana. However, Amit Shah recently made it clear that the next election would be fought under the leadership of CM Nayab Singh Saini, ending Rao’s immediate ambitions. Moreover, Rao is also disgruntled over the BJP not giving an assembly ticket to his daughter Aarti Rao in the last two consecutive elections. He has insisted that Aarti will contest the upcoming election no matter what.
Bhupendra Yadav, from Gurugram district, was made a minister in the central government with a higher-ranking ministry than Rao. Last year, Rao’s rival Dr. Sudha Yadav was included in the parliamentary board. Recently, Nayab Saini, the new state president, has favoured mostly anti-Rao leaders in his new team. Former Haryana deputy speaker Santosh Yadav and GL Sharma were made state vice-presidents, while another opponent, former minister Rao Narbir Singh, was adjusted in the organization and made the Lok Sabha election in-charge. Randhir Singh Kapriwas was the only leader yet to be adjusted, but Nayab Saini’s visit to Kapriwas’s house at midnight indicates impending changes.
As the assembly polls approach, Rao Inderjit’s faction continues to exert pressure on the BJP, asserting their influence over more than a dozen seats in southern Haryana. The BJP’s ability to manage these internal challenges will be crucial in the upcoming elections.