New Delhi: The BJP is headed for a third straight term in Haryana, turning the exit poll predictions on its head. The BJP is leading in 49 of Haryana's 90 seats. The Congress trailed with 34, and said it refused to accept the results. Here are the big winners in the state and the upsets:
Winners
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini led has won from his Ladwa constituency, over Congress' Mewa Singh. The BJP has decided that Mr Saini would remain in the top post, sources said -- an acknowledgement of his role in dispelling the accumulated anti-incumbency against his predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar's government.
Former state minister Anil Vij of the BJP has won from the Ambala Cantonment, beating Congress's Parvinder Pal Pari by 44989 votes. Although BJP had made it clear before the polls that Nayab Singh Saini will retain his post if the party wins, Mr Vij, a six-time MLA, had recently thrown his hat in the ring for the post. Asked about the matter today, Mr Vij said he has always dedicated himself for the party and never asked anything.
Congress's Bhupinder Singh Hooda has retained his Garhi Sampla-Kiloi seat in Rohtak district, defeating his nearest BJP rival, Manju. Mr Hooda, 77, won by a convincing margin of 71,465 votes defeating BJP's Manju Hooda.
Congress candidate and wrestler Vinesh Phogat defeated her nearest rival and BJP nominee Yogesh Kumar by a margin of 6,015 votes. Election Commission data shows the Olympian had polled 65,080 votes while her BJP opponent secured 59,065 votes. "It is a victory of 'sangharh' (struggle) and victory of truth... I will always keep the trust and love of the people," she said after the results were announced.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala's son Aditya Surjewala defeated BJP's sitting MLA Leela Ram by a margin of 8,124 votes. This was the debut election for the 25-year-old who had contested from Haryana's Kaithal. A graduate from the from the University of British Columbia, he had to face the taunts of "super foreigner" from the BJP.
Losers
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala lost from the Ellenabad assembly seat in Haryana. Mr Chautala, the outgoing MLA, was defeated by Congress candidate Bharat Singh Beniwal by a margin of 15,000 votes.
Dushyant Chautala, the chief of Jannayak Janata Party, has lost to the BJP's Devender Chatar Bhuj Atttri from the Uchana Kalan constituency. The former ally of the BJP, which broke alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha elections citing farmers' anger and anti-incumbency against the BJP, has failed to post a single victory in this election.
Udai Bhan, the chief of Haryana Congress, has lost to the BJP's Harinder Singh from Haryana's Hodal assembly seat by a margin of over 2,500 votes, underscoring the Opposition party's defeat in the election it was hoping to win. It also raises questions about the Congress support among Scheduled Castes, which the party had been banking on along with Jat support in this election.
Congress's Surender Panwar, who recently made headlines for being investigated in a case involving illegal mining, has lost from Sonipat to the BJP's Nikhil Maadan by a margin of 29627 votes. Mr Panwar was the sitting MLA from Sonipat, having won in the 2019 polls against the BJP's Kavita Jain.
Dharam Singh Chhoker, the Congress MLA from Samalkha, lost to the BJP's Manmohan Bhadana by 19,315 votes. Considered a close aide of Congress's former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, he is facing a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate. His son Sikhander Singh is arrested in the same case.