Karnal assembly election result 2024: BJP's Jagmohan Anand defeats Congress' Sumita Virk

BJP's Jagmohan Anand won the Karnal legislative assembly constituency in Haryana, defeating Congress candidate Sumita Virk by a margin of 33,652 votes. Anand received a total of 90,006 votes, while Virk garnered 56,354 votes.

Karnal is part of the Karnal Lok Sabha constituency. Traditionally a BJP stronghold, the seat saw a new candidate from the ruling party contest against a two-time ex-MLA from Congress.

The constituency recorded a voter turnout of around 60.42%, according to Election Commission data.

Karnal was a key victory for Manohar Lal Khattar in 2014, where he defeated the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government and became the chief minister of Haryana. He won another term in 2019 and continued as CM until March of this year, when Nayab Singh Saini replaced him.

Saini won the Karnal by-election earlier this year, while Khattar secured the Karnal Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general elections. Khattar is now the union minister of power, housing, and urban affairs.

In the 2024 assembly elections, with Saini running for the Ladwa seat, the BJP nominated Jagmohan Anand, Khattar’s former media coordinator, to contest in Karnal. He faced Sumita Virk from Congress, who previously held the seat in 2005 and 2009. Additionally, Sunil Bindal, the state treasurer of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Jetender Royal of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) were also in the race.

In total, there were 12 candidates in the fray from the Karnal seat in the 2024 Assembly election.

Updated at 18:00pm
In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP retained power by winning 40 out of 90 seats and formed a post-poll alliance with the Dushyant Chautala-led JJP, which won 10 seats. Congress secured 31 seats, while the remaining seats went to INLD, Haryana Lokhit Party, and independent candidates.

In Haryana, the 2024 Assembly polls were held in a single phase across all 90 seats. Voting in all the Assembly constituencies, including Karnal, took place on October 5, and the counting of votes was conducted on October 8.