Jind bypoll result a boost for BJP morale

JIND: BJP's win in Jind bypoll has enthused leaders and workers alike. Party circles saw its first win in the seat as a validation of the leadership's decision to appoint ML Khattar, allegedly an apolitical RSS functionary, as CM after the party rode the Narendra Modi wave to score an outright victory in the 2014.

While the leadership maintained Khattar performed well, earning goodwill by seeking to curb corruption in bureaucracy, especially in recruitment for government jobs, upgrading infrastructure and implementing welfare schemes, a strong school of thought disagreed on the ground that the party could do with someone who was more comfortable with the requirements of electoral politics. With the result validating their decision, both PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah celebrated the Jind performance by praising the CM.

The Jind victory follows BJP's success in five mayoral elections and should help reassure the party, which needs to retain seven of 10 Lok Sabha seats it won in 2014. While it was still unclear whether the party will bring forward state polls and hold it along with the Lok Sabha contest, the outcome shows the strategy to stitch a rainbow coalition of castes other than Jats can keep it in good stead even if substantial number of Jats continue to resist its overtures.

The party has strained not to appear anti-Jat, an effort that may be helped by the change in the Constitution to declare 10% quota for non-SC/ST/OBC castes, and was successful in reaching out to the influential Kandela khap in Jind.