Bhubaneswar: Defying pollsters who predicted a landslide victory for Congress in Haryana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged victorious in Assembly elections held in the northern state. Exit poll surveys and predictions made by analysts were proved wrong as the BJP posted a hattrick by achieving its third victory in a row. The credit for this remarkable turnaround largely goes to senior leader and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who hails from Odisha. Widely seen as one among Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trusted lieutenants, Dharmendra is stated to have proved his extraordinary skills and abilities in election management in Haryana. Observers now wonder whether he will be rewarded with the post of BJP president after the remarkable achievement in the northern state.
Dharmendra Behind Haryana Hattrick
Despite being a small state, Haryana occupies an important place in the political landscape of the country and the recent election in the state was of enormous significance for the BJP. It was seen as an acid test for PM Modi. After remaining in power for two consecutive terms, the saffron party appeared to have encountered anti-incumbency feeling among the people. Haryana elections were crucial, as they were the first after the general elections. With the BJP seeking a third consecutive term, it faced significant anti-incumbency sentiment and Dharmendra took command amid a challenging scenario. In a strategic move, hiss team denied tickets to several senior leaders to counter the anti-incumbency factor. BJP sources said Dharmendra ably defused the tension that cropped up after the candidates’ list was drawn up. From around 25 rebels, the party had to deal with only three by the time the nomination withdrawal rolled around. Party leaders recall how Dharmendra had also played a leading role in managing the BJP’s poll strategy in Haryana in 2019. This time also, he closely monitored daily operations, besides finetuning campaign strategies and drawing up the poll manifesto.
Did Wonders In Odisha Too
Observers are of the view that Dharmendra had also played a crucial role in ensuring a historic win for the BJP in Odisha, where he led the team responsible for drafting the party’s manifesto for the state assembly elections. A key lieutenant to PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the past decade, he is considered the most prominent BJP face in Odisha. In the Odisha campaign, Dharmendra joined forces with Modi and Shah, focusing on ‘Odia Asmita’ and ‘missing keys’ of Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. He himself contested from the high-profile Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat and defeated BJD heavyweight Pranab Prakash Das.
From ABVP To Education Ministry
Known for his extraordinary organisational skills, Dharmendra is often referred to as Modi’s ‘Ujjwala Man.’ He also played a significant role in successfully handling the NET-NEET paper-leak controversy. Having started his political journey with the ABVP in 1983, he made his electoral debut in 2000 when he contested from Pallalhara Assembly set, his home constituency. In 2004, he fought for the Lok Sabha from Deogarh, a seat previously held by his father Debendra Pradhan. Though he lost the 2009 election, he was appointed BJP general secretary in 2010, a position that highlighted his organisational prowess. In 2012, he secured a Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar. In the 2024 general election, Dharmendra won the Sambalpur seat by a margin of more than 100,000 votes, defeating BJD heavyweight Pranab Prakash Das.
The historic victory in Haryana has come at a time when the post of BJP president is set to fall vacant shortly. Given Dharmendra’s election management skills and abilities to tackle crises, observers wonder whether the saffron party decides to reward him with the top position.
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