Quick Commentary;Rajasthan's BJP and Congress Titans Face Off in Haryana Elections**
Gopendra Nath Bhatt
With assembly elections underway in both Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir, political battlegrounds have intensified. All major political parties have deployed their star campaigners in the race to secure victory.
What makes the Haryana elections particularly intriguing is the involvement of heavyweight leaders from neighboring Rajasthan in both the BJP and Congress. BJP has appointed former Rajasthan BJP president Dr. Satish Poonia as the election in-charge, while central ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Ram Meghwal have been assigned key constituencies. Additionally, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has been included in the list of star campaigners, indicating the party's strategic alignment of Jat, Kshatriya, and Dalit leaders alongside a prominent female figure like Raje to bolster its prospects in Jat-dominated Haryana.
On the Congress side, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has been named Senior Election Observer for Haryana. Congress leader Sachin Pilot and others have also been entrusted with significant responsibilities. Gehlot, who had been on bed rest following a slipped disc injury during the last Lok Sabha elections, has re-entered active politics after a 100-day hiatus. His longstanding relationships with leaders like former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will likely strengthen Congress' efforts. Gehlot's past successes in political strategy, notably in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala, have earned him a reputation that the Congress high command is once again counting on.
BJP’s move to position Vasundhara Raje as a star campaigner sends a strong message aimed at consolidating support and countering factionalism within the party. Notably, recent appointments, including close Raje ally Madan Rathore as state president and veteran leader Om Prakash Mathur as Governor of Sikkim, further signal BJP’s efforts to restore balance in Rajasthan’s leadership.
In contrast, Congress is attempting to tackle its own internal divisions, particularly following Ashok Gehlot’s diminished influence after the Lok Sabha elections, where his son Vaibhav Gehlot lost the Jodhpur and Jalore seats. The reactivation of Gehlot is seen as an effort to unify the party in Rajasthan, especially as factionalism involving leaders like Sachin Pilot and Harish Chaudhary continues to challenge the party’s cohesion.
Both the BJP and Congress have announced their candidates, with BJP fielding candidates for all 90 seats and Congress for 89. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which failed to form an alliance with Congress, has also entered the fray, increasing the likelihood of multi-cornered contests in many constituencies. AAP's emergence is expected to split Congress’ vote bank more than BJP’s, although both parties may feel the impact.
As Haryana’s electoral battle rages on, with voting scheduled for October 5 and results to be declared on October 8, the influence of Rajasthan’s political heavyweights could prove decisive in shaping the outcome. Both parties are pulling out all the stops, but the contest is particularly intense between these familiar rivals now facing off across state lines.
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