The Bharatiya Janata Party, which pulled off a hat-trick of wins in Haryana by bucking anti-incumbency, managed to make significant inroads into the Dalit seats and Jat strongholds.
The Congress was heavily banking on the Dalit and Jat votes to make a comeback after a decade of being out of power.
Not only this, the BJP also managed to retain seats in the Ahirwal region and the GT Road belt to shatter the Congress' comeback plans in Haryana, which went to polls on Saturday and results for which were declared on Tuesday.
While the BJP ended up with its best-ever haul of 48 seats, 11 more than those won by Congress in the present elections, parties like the Jannayak Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party were decimated and the Indian National Lok Dal managed to win just two seats.
Proving wrong exit polls which predicted a comfortable Congress win, the BJP will be forming government in Haryana for the third consecutive term.
Out of 17 Scheduled Caste (SC) seats in Haryana, the BJP won eight assembly constituencies -- Nilokheri, Pataudi, Kharkhauda, Hodal, Bawal, Narwana, Israna and Bawani Khera.
From Hodal, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan lost to BJP's Harinder Singh.
The Congress could secure victory in the remaining nine SC seats -- Sadhaura, Shahbad, Ratia, Uklana, Kalanaur, Kalanwali, Jhajjar, Guhla and Mulana -- according to the Election Commission data.
In the 2019 assembly polls, the BJP won five SC assembly constituencies, thus improving its performance in the 2024 assembly elections.
Among several steps to woo the Dalit community, the Nayab Singh Saini government accepted the report of the Haryana Scheduled Caste Commission after the Supreme Court had held that states were constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the SCs.
The sub-classification of SCs into the 'deprived SCs' category comprising Dhanaks, Bazigars, Kabirpanthi, Balmikis, Mazahbis and Mazhabi Sikhs, and other SCs comprising Chamars, Rahgars, Raigars, Ravidassis, Ramdassis and Mochis for the purpose of reservation in government jobs also seemed to have worked in favour of the party.
In poll speeches, the BJP leaders targeted the Congress calling it anti-Dalit outfit and accused the previous Congress regime of depriving jobs to people in the reservation category.
Not only Dalit seats, the BJP also won a significant number of seats in constituencies which were considered Jat strongholds, such as in Sonipat, Rohtak and Jind districts.
In the Jat stronghold, the BJP won five seats -- Gohana, Jind, Safidon, Sonipat and Uchana Kalan.
The Congress registered victories in Baroda, Beri, Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, Julana, Meham and Rohtak. Two Independents won Bahadurgarh and Ganaur constituencies.
The Congress was heavily relying on the consolidation of Jat votes which constitute nearly 25 per cent of the state's population and Dalit votes which constitute nearly 20 per cent votes. But the BJP made significant gains into both these vote banks.
On the other hand, the BJP also focused on its outreach to non-Jat votes and built its narrative around the performance of the Saini government.
The BJP dispensation raised the annual income limit of creamy layer of backward classes from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for the purpose of employment.
Replacing Manohar Lal Khattar with OBC face Saini in the month of March was seen as the masterstroke of the BJP to counter the anti-incumbency of the past nine-and-a-half years and realign its focus to woo different castes.
Notably, OBCs constitute nearly 35 per cent of the state population.
In the Ahirwal belt in south Haryana, which is considered stronghold of the saffron party, the BJP maintained its good electoral performance again this time as it won nine seats -- Ateli, Bawal, Gurgaon, Kosli, Mahendragarh, Naraul, Pataudi, Rewri and Sohna.
Among the winners from south Haryana included Union minister and Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh's daughter Arti Singh Rao.
The Congress could manage to register victory in only Nangal Chaudhary seat.
In the GT Road belt, the BJP won several seats -- Gharaunda, Indri, Israna, Karnal, Ladwa, Nilokheri, Panipat City, Panipat Rural, Rai and Samlakha while the Congress won only Shahbad and Thanesar seats.
Chief Minister Saini won the seat from the Ladwa seat.
Another major reason behind the BJP's unprecedented victory in Haryana was that it successfully countered the Congress offensive on major issues including unemployment, farmers' plight and the Agnipath scheme.
On the criticism of Agnipath scheme by the Congress, the BJP assured government jobs for Agniveers hailing from Haryana after they complete their service.
To placate the farming community, the BJP highlighted its poll promise of giving minimum support price on all 24 crops in Haryana and dared the Congress to implement any of its poll promises pertaining to the farming community in the opposition-ruled states of Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.
The BJP also launched a vitriolic attack on the Congress over the 'kharchi-parchi' (corruption and favouritism) system in government jobs during Bhupinder Singh Hooda's 10-year dispensation.
It claimed to give government jobs in a transparent manner on merit during the 10-year tenure of the BJP in Haryana.
It also promised two lakh government jobs for youth without 'kharchi-parchi'.
