Fatehabad, May 18
The Haryana Chief Minister and president of the ruling Indian National Lok Dal, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today started the second phase of his poll campaign for the byelection to the Fatehabad Assembly seat on a wheelchair. He addressed 11 public meetings today and is scheduled to address seven tomorrow.

As the Chief Minister is recuperating from the ligament injury he suffered a few days ago in Delhi, he was confined to campaigning on his wheelchair. The Chief Minister’s cavalcade included a van with two wheelchairs.

Mr Chautala repeated his claim that a record number of 33,000 development works had been completed during the three phases of the ‘Sarkar Apke Dwar’ programmes of his regime. He claimed that despite the drought-like conditions, the production of wheat and other crops in the state had not declined. This was possible only due to the sufficient supply of power and irrigation water by the government.

He alleged that while Congress chief Bhajan Lal had made Haryana infamous for corruption and defection, HVP chief Bansi Lal had created a force of young criminals by the wrong implementation of his prohibition policy.

He appealed to the people to vote for the INLD nominee, Mrs Swatantra Bala Chowdhary, for the victory of the policies pursued by his government.

The Congress, however, alleged that the state government was trying to intimidate its workers to win the poll. Talking to mediapersons here today, Mr Randip Singh Surjewala, president of the Indian National Youth Congress, alleged that the local administration had been dancing to the tune of the state government and harassing Congress workers.

He alleged that when he and his supporters tried to take out a procession in the town to campaign for the Congress nominee, Mr Dura Ram, he was stopped by the SDM, Mr Yogesh Bhardwaj and the DSP, Mr Ram Kumar. He alleged that the two officers threatened to arrest his Punjab police gunmen. He added that the police had earlier impounded the vehicles of two of his women supporters.

The SDM, however, denied the charges. He said the administration had told Mr Surjewala that the gunmen accompanying him were not authorised by the state police and could not carry arms while Section 144, CrPC, was in force.

Mr Jai Kishan, a secretary of the AICC and central observer of the Congress for the bypoll, reached Fatehabad today. Mr Bhajan Lal, his son Chander Mohan and HPCC general secretary Kusum Sharma also campaigned in the town today.

The Haryana Vikas Party president, Mr Bansi Lal, will address a rally at the Jawahar chowk tomorrow. The party secretary general, Mr Surender Singh, today campaigned for the HVP nominee, Mr Prahlad Singh Gillankhera.