T HE Bharatiya Janata Party’s record third consecutive victory in Haryana and its emergence as the largest national party in Jammu & Kashmir, in the results of the Assembly elections announced on October 8, have once again underscored the power of Brand Modi.
While the BJP won 48 of the 90 seats Haryana, it improved its 2014 tally in J&K by securing 29 seats. The UT voted the NC-Congress to power with a tally of 48.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a celebratory crowd of workers at the party headquarters in the national Capital, “It is the victory of politics of inclusive development.”
“Haryana has seen 13 elections, and in 10 of them, the government changed. This is the first time, a government that completed two full fiveyear terms has been given another chance,” he emphasised.
Independent political observers view the Haryana and J&K results as a timely morale-booster for the BJP, especially after the 2024 Lok Sabha setbacks, when it fell short of a clear majority.
The latest results also demonstrate the BJP’s tactical balance of leveraging the power of Brand Modi while empowering its regional leadership. This winning formula has set the tone for the future, with the party eyeing forthcoming elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand with renewed vigour.
The results further reflect a national trend towards bipolar electoral contests, with the BJP and the Congress emerging as the primary contenders, while smaller parties like the AAP, JJP, and INLD continue to be sidelined. The BJP’s ability to adapt and dominate in state-level elections shows its capacity to respond to evolving voter dynamics.
PM Modi, in his victory speech, noted that the BJP had not only trounced the Congress – which had won five of the ten Lok Sabha seats in Haryana three months back – but increased its number of seats and vote-share.
While he attributed the BJP’s victories to the dedication of party workers and its agenda of Viksit Bharat, the immediate impact visible far and wide is that the Modi magic has worked. Intensifying his attack on the Congress, which is under mounting criticism from its INDI allies as well, he said the party was hatching conspiracies globally to weaken India’s economy.
The Prime Minister said the Congress was a factory to “spread hatred”, which wanted to divide Hindus and pit one community against another.
OBCs and Dalits
He said the Congress’ attempts to mislead the farmers, the OBCs and the Dalits has been rejected by the people.
“The country saw how attempts were made to instigate farmers, but the farmers of Haryana gave them a befitting reply that they are with the country, they are with the BJP. Many attempts were made to instigate Dalits and OBCs but this society also recognised this conspiracy and said that they are with the country, they are with the BJP,” said the Prime Minister. He said the BJP’s victory in Haryana showed the mood of the country, and “in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, we have to get bigger victories.”
