The BJP clinched a stunning hat-trick victory in Haryana, overcoming anti-incumbency challenges and dashing Congress's hopes for a comeback. Meanwhile, the National Conference-Congress alliance secured a spectacular win in the first elections held in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
In the Haryana Assembly elections, the BJP's decisive win is attributed to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success. The saffron party aims to maintain its momentum as it prepares for critical upcoming polls in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi.
Saini, who took over as Chief Minister just six months ago, is likely to retain his position. The BJP emerged triumphant with 48 seats, a notable increase from 41 seats in 2019. This victory also helps the party recover from a significant setback in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where its tally dropped from 10 to 5 seats.
Despite the BJP's good performance, eight out of ten ministers in the Haryana assembly were defeated, including Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta. The Congress, which managed to secure 36 seats, faced a disappointing outcome, falling short of expectations despite an increase of five seats from the last election. The party’s vote share was nearly on par with the BJP's, at 39.04% compared to the BJP’s 39.94%.
High-profile Congress winner Vinesh Phogat, a wrestler-turned-politician, won the Julana seat by a margin of 6,015 votes after a closely contested race.
The ruling BJP secured a historic third term in Haryana, winning 48 assembly seats. The Congress has won 37 seats, Independents won 3 and the INLD won 2 seats.
The NC-Congress alliance achieved a remarkable victory in Jammu and Kashmir, winning 48 of the 90 seats available. With Omar Abdullah's victory in Budgam and Ganderbal, his father and NC chief Farooq Abdullah has indicated that he "will become the CM".
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) celebrated its debut in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, with leader Arvind Kejriwal congratulating the party for opening its account in its fifth state. Mehraj Malik, a District Development Council member, won against BJP’s Gajay Singh Rana in Doda, polling 23,228 votes to Rana's 18,690 votes.
The NC scored big, winning 42 out of the 51 seats it contested, while the Congress secured 6 of the 32 seats it fielded.
The BJP emerged as the second-largest party with 29 seats, an improvement from its previous high of 25 seats in the 2014 elections. Despite focusing on its stronghold in the Jammu region, J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina lost his Nowshera assembly seat.
Independents secured 7 seats, and the PDP managed to win 3 seats, with Iltija Mufti, daughter of party president Mehbooba Mufti, among the notable losses.
