In his first reaction after the Assembly election results, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the BJP's record third straight term in Haryana is the victory of the politics of development and good governance.
Posting on X after the Election Commission declared that the BJP had won 47 seats in Haryana, crossing the halfway mark in the 90-member Assembly, and was leading in one, PM Modi expressed his gratitude to the people of the state and saluted them for giving the party a clear majority once again.
The PM also congratulated all party workers and said that their hard work was responsible for the BJP attaining a historic victory.
"My heartiest congratulations to all my party workers who have worked tirelessly and with full dedication for this great victory! You have not only served the people of the state to the fullest, but have also taken our agenda of development to them. It is because of this that the BJP has got this historic victory in Haryana," he said.
The BJP defied exit poll predictions and effectively countered anti-incumbency to notch up its best-ever tally in Haryana after being in power in the state for 10 years. The Congress, which was predicted to win 55 seats by an aggregate of seven exit polls, was on course to do that or even better around two hours after counting began at 8 am, but things changed very quickly after that.
Failing to capitalise on perceived discontentment among farmers, youth and sportspersons over the demands for minimum support price, the Agniveer scheme and the wrestlers' protest, the Congress could manage to win only 37 seats, just six more than its 2019 tally. The BJP, on the other hand, increased its haul by eight from the last election.
The difference in vote shares as of 7 pm was less than .9%, however with the BJP getting a share of 39.94% while the Congress managed 39.09%.
On Kashmir
Congratulating the National Conference but leaving out its ally Congress, with which it managed to go over the majority mark, PM Modi said this year's Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were special because they were the first after the removal of Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state, and Article 35(A), which allowed it to define permanent residents.
"(The elections) witnessed a high turnout, thus showing the people's belief in democracy. I compliment each and every person of Jammu and Kashmir for this," the PM wrote.
He said he was happy that the BJP had won 29 seats, four more than it had won in 2014, and thanked everyone who voted for the party.
"I am proud of the BJP's performance in Jammu and Kashmir. I thank all those who have voted for our Party and placed their trust in us. I assure the people that we will keep working for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir. I also appreciate the industrious efforts of our karyakartas (workers)," he added.
The National Conference (NC)-Congress-CPM alliance won 49 of the Union Territory's 90 seats with the NC contributing the bulk of them, at 42. Congress candidates beat their opponents in just six while the CPM emerged victorious in one.
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