The preliminary analysis of the Haryana Assembly polls reveals that the core Jat voters from Sonipat, Jhajjar and Rohtak voted overwhelmingly against the BJP, resulting in defeat of five of its six main Jat candidates.
The key Jat belt comprising 36 assembly seats extending across four parliamentary constituencies holds the key to Haryana elections as BJP had shown in 2014. The Jat community forms 27 per cent of the state’s population and Hisar, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonipat, Sirsa, Jind and Kaithal form the heart of Haryana’s Jat belt.
The BJP’s poor performance in the State has its roots in voters in core Jat belt of Sonipat, Jhajjar and Rohtak supporting the Congress or the Dushant Chautala-led Jannayak Janata Party. Except one Jat leader, all five legislators from the community fielded by BJP have lost. These include Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu (Narnaund), Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Om Prakash Dhankar (Badli) and BJP state chief Subhash Barala (Tohana). Rajya Sabha MP Birender Singh’s wife, Prem Lata, lost from Uchana Kalan to JJP’s Dushyant Chautala. Sukhvinder Mandi from Badhra too bit the dust.