Haryana is all set to witness a multi-cornered battle in the upcoming assembly elections scheduled for October 5. Candidates for all the constituencies of the 90-member state assembly have been announced by political parties. Notably, all the major parties contest the election without alliance, vowing to showcase their strength, and are ramping up the election campaigns.

The incumbent BJP is determined to hold on to power for a third term, while the Congress, strengthened by an invigorated performance during the recent Lok Sabha elections, seeks to wrest back the state. The grand old party had initially planned an alliance with AAP to contest the state election, but this later failed due to the dispute over the seat-sharing deal. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party reportedly asked for a double-digit seat, which the Congress did not agree, noting the lack of AAP’s solid presence in the state.

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The AAP has, however, fielded candidates in all 90 constituencies, vowing to be a kingmaker among  the dominant forces. Kejriwal, during a recent election campaign, said that no government will be formed without AAP’s backing in Haryana. The party pins hope in its founder’s home state with confidence given by the stellar electoral victories in the neighbouring Delhi and Punjab.

The regional forces, Jannayak Janata Party and Indian National Lok Dal are also in the poll fray. During the 2019 assembly election, the BJP had contested in alliance with the JJP, which won a total of 10 seats while the saffron party managed to secure 40 seats. The Congress had emerged victorious in 31 seats, securing a 28 per cent vote share. During the 2014 assembly poll, the BJP ended ten-year Congress rule, winning a majority in the state.

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With the saffron party facing anti-incumbency, which was evident in the Lok Sabha poll, analysts have pointed out a favourable atmosphere for the Congress party to return to power. The BJP and Congress received five seats for each during the recent general elections, projecting the Congress party’s grassroot level revitalisation.

The BJP is also facing a rebellion within the party over ticket distributions, with many filing nominations as independent. Several have resigned from the party to contest as independents. The Congress has faced comparatively less rebellion.

Making the lack of discipline within the state BJP unit, the former minister Anil Vij stated that he would stake claim to the chief minister’s post if the party returns to power, calling himself the best CM candidate in the BJP. The statement of the sex-time BJP MLA has raised eyebrows, as the saffron party has already declared that Nayab Singh Saini will continue as the chief minister after returning to power for the third term.

However, political analysts believe the possibility of a hung assembly or a potential edge for the INDIA bloc if it united, though the BJP’s sweeping cannot be ruled out, given the unpredictability of the election results in India.