BJP clinches historic 3rd term in Haryana, Congress suffers major setback

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form the government in Haryana for a third consecutive term, becoming the first party to achieve this milestone in the state’s political history. The party won 48 out of 90 assembly seats, crossing the majority mark of 46 and improving its tally by eight seats compared to the 2019 elections.

The Congress, led by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, won 37 seats — five more than its previous count — but fell short of the majority once again. The result marks the third consecutive assembly election in which the Congress has failed to return to power in Haryana.

Political observers attribute the BJP’s victory to a series of strategic candidate changes ahead of the polls. The party had replaced 14 sitting MLAs, including four ministers, in response to public dissatisfaction over local governance issues.

Among notable outcomes, Congress candidate and wrestler Vinesh Phogat won the Julana seat by more than 6,000 votes. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had campaigned actively in several districts, performed poorly and failed to make a significant mark in the state.