NEW DELHI: In a surprising turn of events beating opinion polls and political pundits, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clinched a stunning hat-trick and secured a historic third consecutive term in Haryana, winning 48 out of 90 assembly seats improving on its previous tally. 

The Congress party led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda who was seen as the chief ministerial candidate leading up to the 2024 polls which looked overconfident of a massive victory could manage to win only 37, local party Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in 2; and independents in 3. The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) of Chautalas founded six years ago after a split in the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), suffered a wipeout and drew a blank.

This victory defied pre-election predictions that suggested a potential loss for the ruling party amid rising anti-incumbency sentiments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the win, stating, "The lotus has bloomed in Haryana," and praised the party's performance in the state.

The BJP's success in Haryana is particularly notable as it marks a significant achievement for the party, which has faced criticism over various local issues. BJP secured approximately 53% of the vote share in Haryana, beating the expectations of many analysts who had predicted a tighter race due to rising anti-incumbency sentiments. The Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini, is expected to be sworn in soon, solidifying the BJP's hold on the state.

In stark contrast, the political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has shifted dramatically with the National Conference (NC) and Congress alliance emerging victorious in the maiden elections after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

The coalition won a total of 49 seats, with the NC securing 42 and Congress taking 6. The BJP managed to win 29 seats, garnering about 30% of the vote share, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 3 while other parties and independents won 10 seats. In J&K Farooq Abdullah has been tapped to lead the new government, with his son Omar Abdullah expected to take on the role of Chief Minister.

BJP’s surprise victory in Haryana has come as a big boost for the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they prepare for forthcoming state elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand states which are due later in the year.