ABSTRACT
The Haryana chapter discusses how the decline of the INLD due to the simmering Chautala family turf war benefitted the BJP electorally. One notable development of this election was the shift of the dominant Jat community vote to the BJP. It was the first election when the BJP riding on its 2015 unexpected win in assembly elections was able to secure a significant number of Jat voters, traditionally the supporters of the INLD or the Congress. The verdict showed that the BJP, traditionally an urban-centric upper castes Hindu support-based party has succeeded in widening its support base and has bridged the social-political divide in the state. The important difference from the parent state in the election was that unlike Punjab, Modi leadership and the BJP narrative of nationalism and national security mattered much in Haryana.
