Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday dismissed the trends and said that Congress would secure an absolute majority in the Haryana Assembly elections.
"Congress is going to form the government in Haryana," Hooda told IANS as the counting of votes for the 90-member Assembly began at 93 centres across all 22 districts.
As the tallying of votes continued for all 90 Assembly constituencies, the BJP appeared to be leading in Haryana, reaching the crucial majority mark of 46 seats, according to the latest Election Commission of India (ECI) data.
The BJP was leading in 47 seats, Congress followed with 36 seats, while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) was leading in one seat, and an Independent candidate held an advantage in another.
Both chief ministerial candidates -- Nayab Singh Saini from the BJP and Bhupinder Hooda from Congress -- were leading comfortably in their respective constituencies.
Hooda, however, dismissed the significance of the early trends, stating, "No matter the initial trends, BJP will not form a government. Congress will come to power with an absolute majority."
He went on to attribute the anticipated victory to the Congress party leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other party leaders.
"But the real credit will go to the people of Haryana," the senior Congress leader added.
Several exit polls had predicted a Congress victory, with Haryana recording a voter turnout of 67.90 per cent. However, the BJP remained confident of returning to power for a third consecutive term.
The BJP is eyeing a third term, while the principal Opposition, Congress, is banking on a comeback. Many exit polls predicted Congress would wrest power from the BJP after spending 10 years in opposition.
The Congress, led by Hooda in a high-energy campaign, is forecasted to win 49-55 seats in the 90-member House.
Nevertheless, BJP's Chief Minister candidate, Nayab Singh Saini, running from the Ladwa Assembly seat, predicted a historic third consecutive term for his party.
He asserted that they wouldn't need any coalition to form the government.
Bhupinder Hooda, the two-time Chief Minister and front-runner for the top post, expressed confidence in Congress forming the government with a "thumping majority."
The contest has also been made more competitive by the presence of other parties, including the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).
Several Independent candidates, many of whom are BJP rebels, are also in the fray, contributing to a multi-cornered fight in various constituencies.
In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP secured a vote share of 36.49 per cent but fell short of the majority and had to form a post-poll alliance with the JJP. In contrast, the Congress saw a significant boost in its vote share in 2024, registering a more than 15 per cent rise compared to the 2019 Parliamentary election.
(With inputs from IANS)
