Mayawati blames Haryana Jat voters for BSP's poll debacle, calls for change

Mayawati voiced disappointment over the Haryana election results, attributing the BSP-INLD alliance's setback to the Jat community's lack of support for her party

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday blamed the “casteist people of the Jat community” in Haryana for her party’s poor performance in the recent Assembly elections. She claimed that while Jats in Uttar Pradesh have shown a shift in their mentality, those in Haryana have yet to follow suit.

Mayawati, in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), expressed her disappointment over the results, stating that the alliance between the BSP and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) suffered due to the Jat community's unwillingness to support her party.

“The BSP and the INLD fought the Haryana Assembly / General election in alliance. But today’s result shows that the casteist people of the Jat community did not vote for the BSP due to which the party candidates lost on some seats by a small margin of votes, although the BSP’s entire vote was transferred,” Mayawati said.

Mayawati urges Haryana Jat community to change mentality
 

In her post, Mayawati emphasised that Jats in Uttar Pradesh have evolved beyond casteist thinking and that this shift has benefitted the BSP, with members of the community becoming MLAs and ministers in the state. She urged Haryana Jats to adopt a similar mindset.

“The people of the Jat community of UP have changed their casteist mentality to a great extent and they have become MLAs from the BSP and ministers in the government. The people of the Jat community of Haryana should also follow in their footsteps and change their casteist mentality. This is special advice,” she posted in Hindi.

BSP-INLD alliance faces major defeat in Haryana
 

The BSP had contested the Haryana elections in partnership with the INLD, a regional player. However, the alliance faced a major setback, securing only two seats. The BSP, on its own, failed to win any seat, marking a dismal showing.

In stark contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dominated the elections, winning 48 out of the 90 seats, securing a third consecutive term. The Congress finished with 37 seats, while independent candidates fared better than the BSP-INLD alliance, winning three seats.
 

The BSP secured a mere 1.82 per cent vote share, while INLD garnered 4.14 per cent.

Calls for resilience and new paths
 

Despite the electoral setback, Mayawati urged supporters not to lose hope. “People should not feel discouraged or hopeless. They should be prepared to create their own path. A new path will emerge,” she said, encouraging her followers to remain resilient.

Exit polls had widely predicted a Congress victory in the Haryana elections, but the BJP outperformed expectations. Meanwhile, in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference emerged victorious with 42 seats, while the BJP came in second with 29.