Haryana election results: BJP in lead but slim margins keep contest tense

Haryana Assembly elections 2024: The margin between the BJP and Congress hovered between as low as 14 in Thanesar to 45 in Hodal seat

As vote counting for the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections progressed, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared to be emerging as the clear winner, leading the trends. By 12.45 pm on October 8, the BJP was ahead in 49 seats, while the Congress trailed behind with leads in 35 constituencies. 

However, despite these numbers, the contest remained tight in many regions, with the margin between the BJP and Congress candidates being razor-thin, as narrow as 68 votes in some areas.

For instance, in Thanesar, the BJP was leading with only 14 votes margin, while Congress held a slim lead of just 68 votes in Loharu. The Congress was also ahead in several other constituencies, with slim leads in Ambala City (294 votes), Mahendragarh (582 votes), Tohana (1,019 votes), and Rai (1,098 votes). In Sirsa the Congress was leading but the margin was only 1546, while in Hathin it was 2208.

Meanwhile, in Ambala Cantt, an independent candidate was leading with a margin of 545 votes. On the BJP side, the party was leading in Indri with a margin of 1,105 votes, in Narwana with 1,346 votes, Hodal (45 votes), and in Bawani Khera with 1,501 votes. As the vote counting continued, both parties remained locked in a closely fought battle across several key constituencies.

Also Read: Haryana elections 2024: Complete list of winners for 90 Assembly seats

BJP comes from behind to command lead in Haryana

The BJP has staged a strong comeback, halting Congress's early celebrations as leads now show the party surpassing the majority threshold, defying the predictions of exit polls.

Haryana’s Assembly has 90 seats, with 46 needed for a majority. After a promising start that briefly saw Congress exceeding this number, it is currently leading in 34 constituencies. Meanwhile, the BJP, aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive term in the state, is ahead in 50 seats.

No party has secured a third consecutive term in Haryana since the state’s formation in 1966. Om Prakash Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), once dominant in Haryana politics, is leading in two seats. However, the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which allied with the BJP in 2019, has yet to secure a seat.

The single-phase 15th Haryana Assembly election took place on Saturday, October 5, 2024, with a voter turnout of 68 per cent.