Manohar Lal Khattar on a strong wicket as bickering ails Haryana Opposition

Riding on the outstanding success of 10 out of 10 results in Lok Sabha elections, Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP in Haryana has exuberated the confidence of posting a record win in the upcoming assembly elections.

A disunited opposition that is also facing feuds and dissensions has prompted the BJP to give rather an audacious campaign slogan of 'Abki Bar Pichhatar Par' (Mission 75 plus) in the 90-member assembly.

While the BJP's main fight is expected to be with the Congress that, of late, has tried to set its divided house in order, the other players in the fray include INLD, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), consisting of leaders who defected from various parties like INLD, BSP, AAP and Swaraj India.

To the credit of Khattar, despite being an outsider and not an articulate speaker, he has managed to exploit the divisive opposition to hold his sway in a state that used to be dominated by Jat politics.

In the poll campaign, the opposition parties are expected to raise issues of unemployment, agrarian distress, state of auto-textile manufacturing hubs, and water scarcity.

The BJP is ready with the nationalist narrative of Article 370, NRC and Citizenship Bill to counter the opposition's onslaught. The nationalist issues are expected to prevail in a state that sends huge number of its youth to the armed forces and reacts passionately to emotive appeals.

Khattar recently also broached the controversial issue of NRC and said it will be implemented in Haryana too as citizens of other countries have no right to stay in the state without permission.

Perhaps, reading this sentiment, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda chose to endanger his relations with Congress and openly supported the abrogation of Article 370.

The only problem BJP is expected to face is in choosing the candidates as it suffers from the problem of plenty since several prominent leaders and sitting legislators, especially from INLD, have switched to the saffron party.