Haryana witnessed an aggressive poll campaign by Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National lok Dal, the two parties fighting for the Number. 1 and 2 slot in the State. The BJP, contesting in all 90 seats, has a vowed objective of "Mission 60 plus to capture power for the first time in Haryana.
Party had opened a flood gate of star campaigners for poll campaigning in all 21 districts of state, consisting of all national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Amit Shah, Home minister Rajnath Singh, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, transport minister, Nitin Gadkari, CMs of BJP-ruled states like Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former CM of Himachal Pradesh Prem Kumar Dhumal, Uma Bharti, Ram lal, JP Nadda, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Jagdish Mukhi, Anil Jain, Shahnawaz Hussain and Kailash Vijayvargiya to convince each and every voters about the policies of saffron party for the welfare of Haryana.
It also roped in some film actresses turned politicians including Hema Malini, Smriti Irani, Manoj Tewari, besides cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu to campaign for BJP candidates in State assemblies for absolute majority in these elections.
The overwhelming response in the lok Sabha polls where it won seven seats out of eight seats it contested persuaded BJP to contest on all the 90 constituencies on its own. Earlier, it used to contest in alliance with INlD and had succeeded in forming the government in Haryana twice, both as junior partner in alliances.
Modi and Shah both addressed more than a dozen poll rallies each, touching every corner of the State. The main opposition, Indian National lok Dal, which remained out of power for the last ten years, failed to get a pre-poll alliance with BJP even after continuous efforts made by SAD veteran Parkash Singh Badal, CM of Punjab.
INlD chief Om Prakash Chautala, who is behind bar in JBT recruitment case, took maximum benefit of his short period of bail on medical ground and had addressed 4-5 rallies, besides 50-60 public meetings in a day across the state, which had become bone of contention for opposition parties. After registering their objections, he had to surrender before jail authorities earlier than the specified time of bail.
After two years, his first public appearance took place in rally with an impressive gathering on the eve of birth anniversary of Chaudhary Devi lal at Jind, in which he had made an emotional speech that ‘He is ready to take oath in jail for the people of Haryana’, which was condemned by all the opposition parties later.
Chautala gave tickets to his MP grandson Dushyant Chautala and his daughter in law Naina Chautala from Uchana Kallan and Dabwali constituencies to retain both seats, as he and his jailed son Ajay Chautala are sitting MlAs from both the seats respectively. He also gave other ticket from Ellnabad to his sitting MlA son Abhay Singh Chautala there. Shiromani Akali Dal, an ally party of BJP in Punjab had to face peculiar situation. It is giving a direct fight to BJP candidates in Haryana having an alliance with INlD at Ambala and kalanwali constituencies, which was dubbed as ‘backstabbing’ by Navjot Singh Sidhu, senior leader of BJP.
SAD veteran Parkash Singh Badal and deputy CM Sukhbir Badal openly criticized congress but cleverly maintained gap from BJP in this poll campaign.
Fourth generation of Chaudhary Devi lal also remained aggressive in poll campaigning for their party. Karan Singh Chautala, son of Abhay Chautala tried to allure young voters by international rap singer Yo Yo Honey Singh through their advertisement campaigning. INlD remained on the target of Modi in his poll speeches for ‘dynastic politics’ and jailed leaders. Modi also didn’t spare Robert Vadra, son in law of congress president Sonia Gandhi for alleged fraudulent land deal with reality giant DlF.
The elections commission of India also asked for report, which cleared the land deal between Vadra and DlF during polls. Congress found it hard to challenge BJP and INlD during campaigning.
Open revolt by senior party leaders on leadership issue, Inner party rift and anti-incumbency factor remained conspicuous in the congress rallies and meeting. It forced party to expel 46 aspirant candidates at eleventh hour for anti party activities.
Congress party also got major jolt few days ahead of assembly polls, when Punjab and Haryana high court disqualifided five MlAs of Haryana Janhit Congress Satpal Sangwan, Vinod Bhayana, Narendra Singh, Zile Ram Sharma and Dharam Singh joined the Congress, from the Assembly on the ground of defection. It persuaded opposition parties to demand Hooda’s resignation on moral ground.
Trying for third time after its two term rule chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, assured voters for third time victory in elections on the basis of ‘Sharafat and Vikas’.
INlD accusing BJP for misusing CBI, again started focusing on ‘sympathy’ votes. Its national chief even wrote an emotional letter and appealed from jail to voters to voter for his party only once.
However, overambitious, BJP asked voters to voter for ‘Equitable distribution’ ,which remained one of the main slogan of Amit Shah and Modi in his rallies. Usually people of Haryana used to see the two contender in the assembly polls every time, but it is the first time, when three contender-BJP, INlD and Congress party testing their luck in the Assembly polls. However, there are few small contenders too, which are registering their presence in the petty pockets including BSP, Haryana Janhit Congress, Jan Chetna Party and Haryana lokhit Party, which are also striving hard to get non-jaat vote bank.