Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: This time BJP's strategy in Haryana assembly elections seems to have changed. The party is showing fondness towards Deputy Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini, but is maintaining distance from former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Keeping Khattar away from both the rallies of PM Modi in Haryana is indicating something similar. According to experts, the strategy behind this is very special. The party feels that the negativity spread about Khattar can be harmful. CM Saini can be an important factor in luring the large OBC vote bank in Haryana. So far, PM Modi has addressed two election rallies in Haryana. Manohar Lal Khattar was not seen in both the rallies in Kurukshetra on September 14 and Sonipat yesterday i.e. Wednesday. Voting is to be held on October 5 in Haryana which has 90 assembly seats.
A few months before the elections in Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar was removed from the post of Chief Minister and Nayab Singh Saini was made the CM. BJP is contesting this assembly election as well by making Saini the CM face. What is BJP's strategy regarding Manohar Lal Khattar? BJP leaders have given indications of this. BJP leaders say that the party is doing this to avoid the negativity spread about Khattar. BJP is putting in all its strength to gain power for the third time in Haryana. The party feels that on the strength of non-Jat, backward and Punjabi votes, BJP can double the magic of 2014 and 2019 in Haryana.
Another senior BJP leader called Khattar's absence from Modi's rally a smart move by the party. He said that doing so would reduce the risk of anti-incumbency wave. There was no point in Khattar being in Sonipat. According to this BJP leader, his presence in the Jat-dominated area could have harmed the party.
On September 14, Modi launched the party's campaign from Kurukshetra in the GT Road area, considered a BJP stronghold. Khattar's absence, despite being an MP from the neighbouring seat Karnal, raised many questions. The BJP has not completely distanced itself from Khattar. It is using him wisely. It is taking Khattar only to those constituencies where his visit will increase the party's votes.
It is also interesting that on one hand BJP is selective about Khattar. The assembly elections are testing the principles formed during the tenure of CM Khattar. BJP is here with the slogan of 'No slip, no kharchi'. This slogan was prepared and implemented during the CM tenure of Manohar Lal Khattar. It also had an impact at the ground level and many youth got employment.