Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party, which was hoping to find a toehold in Haryana — the next logical choice after ruling Delhi and Punjab — could fail to open its account in the state, exit polls have indicated. Exit polls, though, can often get it wrong.
AAP had contested on 89 of Haryana’s 90 seats. But its campaigning was hamstrung due to the absence of its key leaders including Arvind Kejriwal for the most part. Mr Kejriwal and his close aide Manish Sisodia, arrested in connection with the Delhi liquor case, got bail just ahead of the election.
AAP, though, had not been able to open account in Haryana in 2029 as well. But the party was hoping for a better performance after registering its presence in six states and winning the “National Party” tag.
Haryana, where elections were held today, have registered a 64-plus per cent turnout. Exit polls have predicted a Congress victory, giving the BJP no more than 32 seats. An aggregate of four exit polls indicate that the Congress will win 55 of Haryana’s 90 seats – comfortably ahead of the halfway mark of 45. The BJP could end up with 24 seats in Haryana, the math indicates.