# Haryana’s Dalit voters demand welfare, not election promises 2026-08-07T00:46:23+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet With 21% of Haryana’s electorate belonging to Scheduled Caste communities, the BJP and Congress are competing for Dalit support before the Assembly election. Yet voters interviewed by The Hindu describe welfare schemes that remain difficult to access because of paperwork, including the Family ID and benefits for registered construction workers. The 17 reserved constituencies could shape the result. The BJP won nine of them in 2014, while the Congress won seven in 2019. Congress insiders project an advantage in 11 seats based on its Lok Sabha performance, though that is only an estimate. Voters also point to high electricity bills, rising food prices and weak wages as immediate concerns. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: BJP, Congress, Dalit voters, Haryana elections, Scheduled Castes, welfare schemes Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/haryanas-dalit-voters-demand-welfare-not-election-promises/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/haryanas-dalit-voters-demand-welfare-not-election-promises/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.