BJP's win in Jind by-poll widens split between Jat and non-Jat voters

The result of the Jind Assembly by-poll on January 31 was a watershed moment in Haryana’s politics for two reasons: First, it accentuated the socio-political and economic schism between the state’s dominant Jats and the non-Jats; second,  it consolidated the position of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar among the MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP won Jind for the first time since Haryana came into existence. A political observer said: “It appeared that non-Jat voters had regrouped around the BJP like never before.” Khattar is a Punjabi and that augmented the BJP’s lead, the observer said.

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