The coming 2024 general elections and the 2024 Assembly polls in Haryana have increased political activity in the State. The Congress, the key challenger to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, seems to be trying to co-opt the BJP’s potential vote bank. The Leader of the Opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, recently promised four Deputy Chief Ministers from different communities, including one woman, if the Congress forms the next government in the State.
The politics of Haryana revolves around the coalition of castes. Against this backdrop, Mr. Hooda’s declaration is being seen as an attempt to make inroads into the non-Jat vote base. It is the consolidation of non-Jats which is believed to have been a key reason for the BJP’s emergence in Haryana since 2014. Jats account for about 25%, Brahmins constitute about 12%, and Scheduled Castes form about 21% of the population.
