BJP Charts Post-Election Strategy in Haryana, Targets 42 Lost Seats

By Staff Reporter | New Delhi Chronicle

Chandigarh: With one year under its belt since returning to power in Haryana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is already setting the stage for the next electoral battle. In a bid to regain ground in constituencies it lost in the 2024 Assembly elections, the party has devised a grassroots outreach strategy involving its current lawmakers.

According to BJP’s Haryana unit chief Mohan Lal Badoli, each sitting MLA will be given responsibility for one of the 42 Assembly segments where the party faced defeat last year. These additional constituencies will be located outside the legislators’ home districts, and the formal allotment is expected to be announced during the BJP Legislature Party meeting on Tuesday.

In 2024, the BJP secured 48 out of 90 seats in the Haryana Assembly — its best-ever performance in the state — with a vote share of 39.9%. The Congress followed closely, winning 37 seats with 39.1% of the vote.

Under the new plan, each MLA — including Cabinet ministers — will be tasked with engaging party workers, addressing local grievances, and bolstering the party’s presence in their assigned constituencies. The BJP believes that elected leaders wield significant sway even beyond their own constituencies, and their involvement can help accelerate local development and better implement government schemes.

However, some within the party argue that those who ran and lost in these areas shouldn’t be overlooked. “Candidates who contested but didn’t win often have deep ties with the local cadre and understand the political pulse of that region. With proper support from the party, they could be instrumental in reclaiming those seats — especially if the public sympathy factor is at play,” said one senior party leader on condition of anonymity.

Opposition voices, however, are doubtful about the effectiveness of the initiative. Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan noted that a similar approach was tried in 2014 — when the BJP first came to power in the state — but failed to yield lasting gains. That year, the party had won 47 seats with a 33.2% vote share. By 2019, it had slipped to 40 seats, falling short of a majority, though it managed to retain power with external support.

As BJP gears up for future contests, the success of this renewed outreach plan remains to be seen — especially in a state where political fortunes have often shifted quickly.