Chandigarh: In Haryana assembly elections set to take place this year, BJP is aiming for a hat-trick win, while Congress is eager to return to power after being out for ten years. Meanwhile, INLD and JJP are fighting to give a tough fight.
With this tough competition, all eyes are on the Dalit votes. After the Jat community, Dalits are the second largest group in the state. Both Congress and BJP are trying to win their support, and smaller parties like INLD and JJP have teamed up with Dalit-based groups to boost their chances.
Are Dalit voters the key to winning Haryana’s poll race?
In this fierce contest, the Dalit community, which makes up 21 percent of Haryana’s population, has become a crucial factor. After the Jat community, which represents around 30 percent of the population, Dalits are the second largest group in the state.
Congress is focusing on a combination of Jat and Dalit votes, while BJP is working hard to win over Dalit voters through conferences and community outreach programs.
INLD has formed an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and the JJP has joined hands with Dalit-based parties like the Azad Samaj Party, hoping to strengthen their chances by aligning with Dalit leaders.
It is uncertain which party will benefit the most from Dalit support, but their votes are set to play a pivotal role in the election outcome.
Haryana’s political map
Haryana’s political map has 17 assembly seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), which are Dalit-dominated. Dalit voters also have a strong influence in 35 other assembly constituencies. The impact of Dalit voters is evident, and all parties recognize their importance.
Congress, led by Bhupendra Singh Hooda, is focused on securing both Jat and Dalit votes to build a solid 50 percent vote bank. Dalit leaders like Chaudhary Udaybhan and Kumari Shailja are key figures in the Congress strategy.
The 2019 assembly elections saw Congress put up a strong fight against BJP, largely due to the Hooda-Shailja combination. In 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress won five out of ten seats in Haryana, partly due to Dalit support.
For BJP, Dalit votes are also essential. The party has lost some ground, particularly in the reserved seats of Ambala and Sirsa, where Dalit voters shifted towards Congress. In response, BJP has launched efforts to connect with the Dalit community, such as the “Manohar Lal Ka Parivar” campaign, which promises to address their concerns and provide solutions to their problems.
INLD’s alliance with BSP
On the other side, INLD is struggling to survive politically. After a poor showing in the last elections, where it won just one seat, INLD has allied with BSP in hopes of garnering Dalit votes. However, both parties performed poorly in the last election. BSP contested 87 seats but won none, managing to gain only 4.14 percent of the vote.
JJP is in a similar position, forming an alliance with Chandrashekhar Azad’s Azad Samaj Party to boost their chances among Dalit voters. JJP performed relatively better in the last election, winning 10 seats and gaining 14.84 percent of the vote.
One influential group within the Dalit community is Ravidasi, who make up more than 60 percent of Haryana’s Dalit population. Ravidasi community has traditionally supported Congress, while other Dalit groups are split among various parties. Dera Sacha Sauda, a religious organisation based in Sirsa, also plays a crucial role in influencing Dalit voters.