India: Ballot Counting Begins in Haryana, Kashmir Elections
The Facts
As results come in from India's assembly elections, which were conducted on Sept. 18, Sept. 25, and Oct. 1 in the states of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to win a 48-seat majority in Haryana.
The Spin
While the loss in Haryana was a gut punch to Congress and its supporters, at least voters in Kashmir can celebrate the end of BJP rule. Narendra Modi lied when he said he wished to win the 'hearts' of Kashmiris, shown by his immediate stipping of their regional identity and autonomy. For the first time since New Delhi took over, the only Muslim-majority district in India can finally speak its mind without fear of punishment.
The BJP's victory in Haryana is far more important than anything Congress has achieved. While the opposition focused on minority groups, especially Muslims and Jats, the BJP campaigned across Haryana to motivate the state's majority of Hindus. Modi's party even outperformed Congress in rural areas, despite the Jats being the farmer class. Haryana is a Hindu state, and in the face of violence from other groups, it chose to fight back at the ballot box.
