CHANDIGARH: Jats comprising around 28 per cent of Haryana population have traditionally played a dominant role for decades in the caste-centric politics of the state. They have significant impact on at least four Lok Sabha seats -- Sirsa, Hisar, Rohtak and Sonipat -- out of the 10 constituencies in the state, which will go to polls in the sixth phase on May 25.
Most Jats have been up against BJP-led Centre over the farmers’ protest and the wrestlers’ agitation. BJP and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) candidates are facing farmers’ ire across the state. The ruling BJP is pinning its hope on the non-Jat social engineering which it has successfully carried out in the last two elections.
The Jat votes in the state are largely divided between the Congress, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and its splinter group, JJP. As the alliance between the BJP and JJP fell apart, the saffron party is trying to split Jat votes to its favour. It remains to be seen if the Jat votes come on one platform or remain divided, say political observers.
Political analyst Prof Ashutosh Kumar of Panjab University says, “BJP by breaking away from JJP would get the votes which would have gone to the Congress. BJP and JJP can always come together after the election. In fact JJP would have difficulty in explaining its position to the farmers over the three farm laws and the recent agitation of Punjab farmers.’’
A few days back BJP candidate from Sonepat Mohan Lal Badoli was surrounded by hundreds of protesting farmers at Rohna village, so he had to cut short his election speech and go back. , The same situation was faced by other BJP candidates -- Ranjit Chautala from Hisar, Arvind Sharma from Rohtak and Ashok Tanwar from Sirsa.
Some 24 villages under the Dahiya Khap have boycotted BJP and warned candidates against trying to approach them. Also senior JJJP leader and former deputy CM Dushyant Chautala was stopped from entering Nara village in Hisar, a Jat stronghold.
Pagri Sambhal Jatta Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, a a constituent of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), has launched a campaign against BJP and JJP leaders. “The farmers are pretesting across the state against both BJP and JJP candidates who are not giving any answers to our 20 questions. We have threatened with cases.
Farmers have no option but to vote for the candidates of an alternative party who can defeat the BJP,’’ says Mandeep Singh Nathwan, president of the Samiti. “Not only Jats but also non-Jats are not happy this time as they are upset over Agniveer scheme as the youth from the state try to join the army,’’ he claims.
It is learnt that Manohar Lal Khattar was also part of the BJP’s non-Jat social engineering, but his growing unpopularity made the party to make Nayab Singh Saini, an OBC, as Chief Minister in March this year. The state has 8% OBC voters. The saffron formula aims to ensure that non-Jats continue to support the party and that the leadership change is actually an excuse for course correction and intended to hide the party’s past follies, say political observers.
The BJP has been trying to connect with local Jat leaders but has not been successful far. “The protests are all orchestrated by Congress workers and not local residents. People will see through their game and vote for development as they have seen where BJP has brought them in 10 years,” said Khattar. The five-and-a-half-year-old JJP has been in crisis since its coalition with the BJP in the state ended. It has been rocked by a spate of resignations. JJP majorly splits Jat votes but this time it is out of the race and INLD is still struggling to survive. In the situation the Congress is gaining an upper hand.
Highlights
In 58 years, the state has been ruled by Jat chief ministers. However, current Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, his predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar, Bhagwat Dyal Sharma, Rao Birender Singh and Bhajan Lal were non-Jat CMs so far.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 39.8 per cent Jats voted for Congress and 42.4 per cent for the BJP and 8.9 per cent for others. In 2014 parliamentary polls 40.7 per cent Jats voted for congress and 32.9 per cent for BJP and 13.9 per cent for INLD and 12.5 per cent for others.