Haryana model echoed in Maharashtra assembly elections by Modi proving that Haryana is trend setter in national politics.
Gustakhi Maaf Haryana-Pawan Kumar Bansal.
Haryana model echoed during Maharashtra assembly election – It proved that Haryana is trend setter in national politics. Haryana assembly election-results declared more than a month ago have become campaign-point for BJP in Maharashtra assembly- elections ,with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the electorate to follow suit the Congress- defeat. Interestingly , Maharashtra in-charge of Congress, Ramesh Chennithala also says that they have learnt some lessons from Haryana elections which will help them in Maharashtra- Haryana, it is rightly said, is the trend-setter in national politics.
What prompted Narendra Modi to cite party’s Haryana victory during campaign in Maharashtra is the fact that the party by its micro- management and caste- manipulation has created history by coming into power for the third consecutive term despite strong anti – incumbency wave all-over the state. Prior to and during elections in Haryana , Rahul Gandhi had advocated Caste- census. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former Chief Minister of Haryana and senior Congress leader, had promised that if Congress came to power in Haryana, it will hold caste- census. Launching poll campaign in Maharashtra, Narendra Modi thundered “Haryana has defeated Caste- census agenda of Rahul Gandhi’ adding that Haryana was the first State to endorse the line ‘Ek hain tau safe hain’ meaning ‘united we are safe’ and urged the electorate of Maharashtra to follow the example of Haryana by defeating Congress. Modi accused Congress of weakening SCs,STs and other Backward castes by raising the bogey of Caste Census. Modi urged these communities to stay united.
Congress was hoping that by advocating caste-census,it will get sizable number of votes from these communities and form government but it backfired and BJP came to power in Haryana for the third consecutive term, surprising both Congress as well as BJP as they never imagined such a landslide victory. Modi has made frontal attack on Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP Maha Vikas Agadhi coalition for dividing communities by advocating caste-census. In Haryana, all exit-polls and election- surveys were showing landslide- victory of Congress but consolidation of SC and BC- votes turned the tables and BJP came to power. BJP gained in Haryana largely due to a large number of rebel Congress candidates. Learning lessons from Haryana, Congress-party is making all–out efforts in Maharashtra to ensure that rebel- candidates withdraw in support of official- candidates,says Ramesh Chennithala, Maharashtra in-charge of Congress party.Congress lost dozen seats due to rebel party candidates and had its Leadership managed their timely withdrawal it would have formed the government instead of BJP ,commented political analysts Devinder Surjewala adding that congress heavyweight former MP Bijender Singh son of former Union Minister Birender Singh lost from Uchana assembly constituency with a narrow margin of only thirty three votes due to presence of two rebel candidates.
BJP wants to capitalise its Haryana-victory in Maharashtra elections which is very crucial for BJP as apart from other factors, it fetches huge donations for the party-fund. Maharashtra is also crucial for Congress as it is believed that after Haryana- defeat, losing Maharashtra will demoralise its cadres. Since Bhupinder Singh Hooda is blamed for Congress- defeat in Haryana,the party has kept him away from Maharashtra campaign.BJP is hoping to repeat its Haryana performance in Maharashtra as it will put the congress on back-foot. Making fun of the so-called “Haryana model “ about which Narendra Modi is boasting in Maharashtra, Congress MP,Randeep Singh Surjewala said that BJP has not won Haryana election due to popular vote but due to management of EVMs.Surjewala regretted that even Election Commission of India has not listened to their complaints of manipulation adding that now the only hope is Supreme Court.Surjewala said that almost all surveys and even exit-polls were showing victory of Congress but all of a sudden what happened was the “Charisma” of EVMs.Surjewala reminded that three days before polling CM,Naib Singh Saini had publicly admitted that they are winning because “system“ was with them .
Surjewala said that the so- called “system “ was their plan of manipulation of EVMs in selected assembly constituencies.Whatsoever may be the results of Mahabharata, Haryana a tiny State having only ten seats of LokSabha has once again proved that it is the trend-setter in national politics.