New Delhi: Factionalism and internal strife within the Congress have cost the party a victory in the Haryana assembly elections. After nearly a decade out of power in the state, the Congress’ hopes of returning to power have been dashed once again. While there is little difference in the vote shares of Congress and the BJP, the seat tally has given the BJP the edge, securing their third consecutive term.
In a surprising twist, Congress candidate Maman Khan has emerged as the biggest victor, defeating several prominent figures, including Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Naib Singh Saini. He contested from the Ferozepur Jhirka constituency.
Khan won by a margin of 98,441 votes, beating BJP’s Naseem Ahmed. Elsewhere, veteran Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda secured his seat with a margin of 71,465 votes, while Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini retained his position with a victory margin of 16,054 votes.
Khan secures landslide victory
Voting for the Ferozepur Jhirka seat, located in Haryana’s Nuh district, took place on October 5. This constituency, known for its Muslim majority, saw all major parties, including the Congress and BJP, field Muslim candidates. However, Maman Khan’s dominant performance in the area led to a landslide victory.
He garnered a total of 130,497 votes. In comparison, BJP’s Naseem Khan secured around 32,000 votes, INLD’s Mohammad Habib received 15,638 votes, JJP’s Jan Mohammad managed 720 votes, and Aam Aadmi Party’s Wasim Jafar trailed behind with just 234 votes.
Rise to prominence
Maman Khan gained huge media attention during the Nuh violence, which erupted in 2023. He was arrested on charges of involvement in the violence but later secured bail. The Haryana Police had even sought to have his bail revoked, labeling him as a key figure in the unrest. Khan had previously contested the 2014 election from Ferozepur Jhirka as an independent but lost to INLD’s Naseem Ahmed. In 2019, running on a Congress ticket, he succeeded, winning 58% of the vote and securing a margin of 37,000 votes.
