A Post-Poll Yatra Across Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab

What's The Mood In Haryana?

Dear Reader,

My colleague Banuchandar Nagarajan is hitting the road again. After his 14 day Hridayapath dispatches during the general elections, he is now on a Post-Poll Journey.

On a six-day journey across Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab, his goal is to uncover the post-poll mood and understand the pressing issues from off-beat places. Like with the Hridayapath series, the journey avoids big cities and tourist places.

Our narrator postulates that a straight line from Gurgaon to Amritsar forms a media divide. News from Haryana and Punjab is dominated by the places that fall to the right (east) of the line — Gurgaon, Panipat, Sonipat, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Chandigarh and Amritsar.

However, electoral shocks came from elsewhere — Western Haryana (Hisar, Sirsa, among others) and Western Punjab (Faridkot, Khadoor Sahib, among others).

As a result, the final route that he undertook was — Delhi–Jhajjar–Chakhri Dadri–Hisar–Sirsa–Ganganagar–Muktsar Sahib–Firozpur–Moga–Bhatinda–Mansa–Sangrur–Kaithal–Jind–Rohtak–Najafgarh–Delhi.

With Haryana's Assembly Elections on the horizon, the first dispatch tries to understand what's the mood like in Haryana. If there were regrets and any remaining resentments? What do people make of Nayab Saini, the new Chief Minister?

The route in Haryana is mostly the "Jat belt" where the political preferences are skewed towards the Congress. It does not traverse the eastern and southern Haryana, which are BJP's strongholds.

Here is the link to Dispatch 1 of Post-Poll Journeys from Haryana!

Moving Beyond Bijli-Sadak-Pani

In Dispatch 2 of Post-Poll Journeys, Banuchandar continues his travels in Haryana and then enters North-West Rajasthan.

In the heartland of Haryana, beyond the usual clamour for 'bijli-sadak-pani', a new narrative of aspiration is unfolding.

"Fatehabad and Sirsa, the districts I was about visit, had their poverty headcount at about 7 per cent," says the author. These cities are now bustling with the promise of growth and opportunity.

Take Fatehabad, for instance. Under the 'One District, One Product' initiative, citrus fruits have been earmarked as the local specialty.

• Yet, despite the potential, local awareness and infrastructure remain a challenge.

This echoes broader concerns across Haryana, where economic development often outpaces grassroots support.

Sirsa, on the other hand, paints a different picture with its burgeoning urban landscape.

• Malls, theaters, and a palpable sense of prosperity mark its entry points.

• However, beneath this veneer lies a complex reality—unemployment weighs heavily on the educated youth, prompting many to seek opportunities elsewhere.

The political landscape mirrors these complexities. With dissatisfaction simmering, the upcoming elections promise to be a close contest.

Moving beyond Haryana, Hanumangarh and Ganganagar in Rajasthan reveal a tapestry of agricultural bounty and socio-economic challenges.

• The canal colonies, nurtured by Maharaja Ganga Singh's vision, epitomize prosperity, yet idle youth and cultural conservatism pose new questions for these regions.

Interactions with locals—from farmers like Gurmeet Singh grappling with farming costs to young graduates hesitant to leave their villages for urban jobs—it became clear that traditional values and modern aspirations are intertwined in the region's fabric.

For a proper in-depth sense of these sentiments and the evolving political landscape, read the complete story by Banuchandar Nagarajan:

• Dispatch 2: In Sirsa And North-West Rajasthan, Unemployment And Exodus Of Educated Youth Are A Big Concern.

Stay tuned for more from this Post-Poll Journey. Until tomorrow then,

Anmol N Jain

Three State Elections In 2024, But BJP Has An Edge In...

Dear Listener,

While the Lok Sabha results from Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Haryana were surprising for the BJP, another round of elections awaits in these states, where observers suggest the BJP does not have a clear advantage. At best, it’s a 50-50 scenario.

But should the BJP worry? A similar narrative was prominent in the three state elections held last year—Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan—all touted as closely contested battles. However, the BJP emerged victorious in all three, quite decisively.

Common Challenges Facing The BJP In All Three States 

1. The strong cadre of the Opposition or the regional parties on the ground, which is energised and sees a good chance of winning, especially after 2024 Lok Sabha results.

2. Rival parties successfully building the anti-BJP perception among the masses (on the ground as well as through regional media and online), like all Jats are anti-BJP, various Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities are now anti-BJP, and some OBC groups are unhappy with the BJP.

   Similar to how in the Lok Sabha Election they spread that the BJP is anti-reservation, and against the Indian Constitution.

3. Wooing the rural voters. Rural distress is a reality in all three states, and more than promises, groundwork is required, as quickly as possible. Candidates need to be on the ground, addressing issues and interacting with people.

Go into the nitty-gritty of each state and know what's working and not working for the political parties ahead of the assembly elections in the following episodes of What This Means:

• Haryana - What's working for Congress, and three things that BJP can do to win

• Maharashtra - The 'Maha' drama within Mahayuti and MVA is here to stay!

• Jharkhand - BJP's best chance of winning is here, but so is JMM's

Key Takeaway: The BJP faces a tough battle in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Haryana with strong opposition forces and significant rural challenges, making the upcoming elections crucial and unpredictable.

Your host,

Diksha Yadav

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