Winners and losers of Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir elections

The results of Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir elections threw up winners and losers in equal measure. BJP on Tuesday scripted a dream victory in Haryana, trumping widely held expectations that it will struggle to go past the majority mark while J&K gave a clear mandate to the familiar combination of NC and Congress in its first election post the abrogation of Article 370.

Here are the big winners and losers of these elections:

Winners

BJP: Though it failed to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP was undoubtedly the biggest winner of the election. The party is set to form its third straight government in Haryana, which itself is an impressive feat. No party has led Haryana for three straight terms. Moreover, BJP has posted its best-ever result in the state. This has to be seen in the context of the ground realities of Haryana. In his analysis of the elections in The Indian Express, Pratap Bhanu Mehta wrote that BJP does not have a "default cultural identification" in Haryana unlike MP and Gujarat. Winning a state like that thrice in a row — especially when there is a palpable anti-incumbency factor in the air — is a feat of strategic brilliance. Read the 5 factors that worked in BJP's favour.

Haryana Elections Results 2024: Seat-wise full list of winners

Even in J&K, BJP will take heart from its solid performance in the Jammu region. The party bested its 2014 tally and won 29 seats this time. It secured the highest vote share among all other parties and cemented its commanding position in Hindu-dominated Jammu in a direct fight with Congress. The party's performance made it clear that it remains the champion of Hindu votes.

Brand Modi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not have campaigned as aggressively as in previous elections, but BJP's strong performance can be attributed to his strategic leadership and the solid foundations he has built over the years. The results have, in a way, silenced those taunting BJP over the perceived dilution of Brand Modi and the rise of Brand Rahul Gandhi in the aftermath of Lok Sabha elections. By securing Haryana, a state where Modi's image still resonates among core Hindu voters, BJP has demonstrated that the Prime Minister's appeal endures.

Omar Abdullah: The National Conference scion reversed the setback of the recent Lok Sabha elections by emerging as the victorious face of J&K assembly polls. Initially reluctant to contest, Omar eventually entered the poll fray, won both the seats (Ganderbal and Budgam) from where he contested and is now on course to becoming the chief minister of J&K again. In doing so, he also managed to shed the outsider tag which was stuck with him for the last few years. NC's two strategic decisions worked for the party in Kashmir. First, Omar's decision not to ally with 'Gupkar alliance' partner PDP. NC did not want to breathe air into the perception that it's allying with a party that joined hands with BJP in 2014. NC also decided to stitch an alliance with Congress, removing all doubt from the minds of voters about the possibility of a post-poll pact with the BJP.

Jammu & Kashmir Election Results 2024: Seat-wise full list of winners

Nayab Singh Saini: The unassuming chief minister of Haryana proved to be a gamble that paid off handsomely for the BJP. He took a slew of decisions to allay the core voter groups - from farmers to women to jats. As CM, Saini represented a stark contrast to Khattar, who had become a symbol of anti-BJP sentiment in the state. His decisive victory from Ladwa constituency was an icing on the cake.

Losers

Bhupinder Hooda: Hooda would have basked in glory had Congress scripted a comeback in Haryana. In the same vein, the blame for the setback should also rest on his shoulders. Hooda was the architect of Congress's electoral strategy in Haryana. His influence was visible everywhere, right from the selection of candidates to the sidelining of key faces (Kumari Selja). He even opposed an alliance with AAP, despite Rahul Gandhi favouring it. In the end, Congress faced the repercussions of factionalism, the rigidity of the old guard, and miscalculations in candidate selection.

Mehbooba Mufti: With just 3 seats in its kitty this year, PDP has been relegated to the margins. Unlike her NC rival Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba did not step into the poll fray to try to redeem the loss of Lok Sabha elections from Anantnag. Instead, she fielded her daughter Iltija Mufti, who also faced defeat in her maiden assembly election. PDP's inability to overcome the anger in Kashmir for allying with BJP has severely hampered its poll prospects. Mehbooba now faces an existential threat as she tries hard to revive a PDP without its founding father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

Engineer Rashid and other separatists: Rashid became the giant-killer in the Lok Sabha elections after defeating Omar Abdullah from Baramulla. The feat seemed more remarkable since he led the campaign even while being incarcerated. He built up expectations of pulling off more such victories in the assembly polls, especially after securing bail to campaign on the ground. But he could not repeat the script. His party, AIP, managed to win just 1 out of the 34 seats it contested. Similarly, many other separatist candidates, including those belonging to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, failed to make a mark in the elections.

Dushyant Chautala: The rebel leader from the Chautala clan failed to replicate the success of 2019, when his Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) won 10 seats and helped BJP form an alliance government. In 2024, the great grandson of former deputy PM Devi Lal failed to open his account. Chautala likely suffered backlash due to his alliance with BJP and past comments made by his father Ajay on farmer agitation. As a result, he himself came fifth in Uchana Kalan and ended up losing his deposit.

Exit polls: Lastly, pollsters missed the mark yet again after the Lok Sabha embarrassment. Every mainstream exit poll predicted a comfortable victory for Congress in Haryana. The actual result turned out to be the exact opposite. Even in J&K, a majority of pollsters predicted a hung assembly but gave an edge of NC-Congress. The alliance, however, managed to sail through easily. Pollsters faced criticism from opposition leaders for failing to gauge the nation's mood during the Lok Sabha polls. Nearly all of them had forecast 300+ seats for BJP but the party failed to even secure a majority. With another missed prediction under their belt, exit polls will now be taken with a pinch of salt.