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State of Parties — Congress Haryana
Assembly Poll Factors at Play
— Naraingarh
First-timer in Naulatha
BJP ropes in Gaur
Parties seek support of star campaigners in Bihar
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State of Parties — Congress Chandigarh, January 19 For those who have been annoyed with Mr Chautala during the past five years, there is no alternative (TINA) but to vote for the Congress. And there is no dearth of such persons in Haryana, as has been proved by the last Lok Sabha elections in which the INLD not only failed to win even a single seat but also had to suffer the additional humiliation when it could lead in only nine of the 90 Assembly segments in the state. But for these factors, the leaders of the national party could hardly take any measures to endear their party to the electorate. But for the “padyatra” undertaken by the then Haryana Congress President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, in support of the BKU activists of the Kandela agitation, the Congress could not launch any mass movement to prove that it was an effective opposition party worth its salt. Its leaders were more interested in settling scores with each other than cornering the Chief Minister. Many a time one got the impression as if senior Congress leaders were afraid to take on Mr Chautala, who left no opportunity to book junior leaders of the main opposition party on alleged corruption charges. Some of them had to remain in jail for a considerable time while the others could secure anticipatory bail. The senior leaders merely launched token dharnas to sympathise with their junior colleagues. It was only after the unexpected success in the Lok Sabha elections that the Congress leaders felt emboldened enough to prepare a charge sheet against Mr Chautala, accusing the ruling family of amassing wealth through corrupt means. The charge sheet really rattled the Chautala, who realised that the allegations of corruption could cost them dearly in the elections. Mr Ajay Singh Chautala, MP son of the Chief Minister, said recently that it had been the strategy of the Congress to raise the issue of corruption at the time of elections to befool the people. The Congress successfully tried this strategy in Punjab where Capt Amarinder Singh made the alleged corruption of Akali leader Parkash Singh Badal a major election issue. Similarly, the Congress highlighted similar allegations against the then Himachal Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal. The INLD fears that the Congress would try the same experiment in Haryana. The fears are not misplaced. Hardly a day passes when the Working President of the Haryana Congress, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, has not issued a statement accusing the ruling party of corruption and criminalisation of politics. The popular perception that the BJP cannot be an alternative to the INLD, at least in this election, is helping the Congress in a big way. The anti-Chautala vote is likely to be consolidated by and large behind the Congress. The scent of power has also made things difficult for the Congress. There were a large number of contenders for the ticket from each constituency. When they failed in their endeavour, many of them entered the arena as rebel candidates. State unit President, Bhajan Lal’s assurance that those who could not be given the ticket would be adjusted in the government has a salutary effect on many probable rebels, who changed their mind at the last minute. This was one reason why no Congress leader from Ambala city filed his papers as a rebel to protest against the nomination of Mr Venod Sharma, a former Union Minister, who is seen as an “outsider”, apart from Mr Sharma’s own persuasive skills. Congress leaders are confident that they would be able to persuade the others also to withdraw from the contest in favour of the official candidates. The party is confident of forming the next government in the state with a comfortable majority.
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Haryana
Assembly Poll New Delhi, January 19 The total Sikh population in the state is11,70,662 as per the last Census, including 6,18,558 men and 5,52,104 women, and is largely concentrated in areas contiguous to Punjab, like Dabwali, Rori, Ellenabad, Sirsa, Ratia, Fatehabad, Safidon, Jundla, Jagadhari, Yamunanagar, Sahabad, Pehowa, Naggal, Ghula, Assandh, Ambala City, Naraingarh, Nilokheri, Tohana, Kalayat, Indri and Thanesar. The 12,22,916 Muslim population, includes a large number of rural population with over 10,45,753 Muslims living in the Mewat region, comprising mainly Hathin, Touru, Ferozepur Zirka and Nuh in the close vicinity of Delhi. Some Muslim presence is also in Chhachharuli in Yamunanagar and Panipat. Political observers believe that Sikhs in the state are largely divided in two groups—the older lot which is anti-Congress and therefore pro-INLD and the younger generation that is willing to go with anyone who helps in the creation of a separate gurdwara management committee in the state. This group also feels that the Akalis could have contested the elections alone or with other political parties during the past decades instead of first with the Janata Party, then the Lok Dal and later the INLD. According to National Commission for Minorities Chairman Tarlochan Singh, quite a few Sikhs and Muslims are in the favour of the INLD as during Mr Om Prakash Chautala's tenure no untoward incident took place against any minority community and there was communal harmony in the state. “Without talking about the division between different Akali Dals and just keeping the sentiments of the entire community in mind, one section of the Sikhs, which is older and anti-Congress due to Operation Bluestar and the 1984 riots, is happy with Mr Chautala as he tried to woo the Sikhs during his tenure. The INLD also introduced Punjabi as the second language in the state. Mr Chautala visited Bhai Kanhiya’s native village, Saudhara, in Pakistan and brought water from there and also commemorated the birth anniversary of the Khalsa. The working president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, had announced his acceptance of the demand for a separate gurdwara panel in the presence of seven SGPC members, out of the 11 elected from Haryana. It may prove to be a tilting factor in Congress’ favour. “The INLD stand on this issue is that it will not interfere with religious matters of the community and the issue should be resolved between the Sikhs and the SGPC,” Mr Tarlochan Singh said. “The INLD is fighting against heavy odds with the Congress sweeping the Lok Sabha elections. Creating a new district would have benefited Muslims in the Mewat area, one of the most backward areas in the state, in a big way and it was Mr Chautala’s major political aspiration. Had the EC allowed Satyamevpuram’s creation, the Muslims might have favoured the INLD,” he said.
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Factors at Play
— Naraingarh Naraingarh, January 19 For over one year, thousands of farmers registered with Naraingarh Sugar Mills Limited, have not got their pending dues from the mill. They are dismayed with the government for failing to resolve the issue of payment for last year's crop. Being an economically backward area, with a agrarian economy, the residents say that the biggest issue for them is the non-payment of dues by the sugar mill. Mr Mehan Chand, a farmer from Khanpur Rajpootan village, says that last year the mill management had paid for the sugarcane according to the statutory minimum price of Rs 90 per quintal. "This was much less than state advised price of Rs 104 per quintal, being paid by the cooperative sugar mills in the state," he says. The farmers raised a hue and cry following which the Cane Advisory Board recommended that the farmers be paid Rs 16 per quintal in lieu of the cane supplied to the mill during last year's crushing season. "However, these dues have not been paid as yet. The mill management had called us today to collect the cheques but we have been disappointed again," says Mr Dharam Singh of Gadauli village. The farmers in this village have now diversified to other crops. Mr Kuldeep Singh of Patreri village says that most of the sugarcane farmers have diversified to other crops like sunflower, pulses, oilseed and fodder cultivation because of poor returns. "Last year, I had over seven acres of my land under sugar cane, which I have reduced to one acre this year," he says. The farmers say that it was decided that the farmers would be paid dues on a fortnightly basis. "The crushing season began in November 25. We were not paid for the first fortnight and later when the elections were announced, the mill management started paying in cash," says Mr Ravinder Singh of Raipur Rani. However, the mill management says that no dues are pending. Mr Hemraj Singh, Executive Director of the mill, says that "I agree that this year the cane production from this belt is down by 15 to 20 per cent but this is a countrywide phenomenon and not because of any delay in payment. We are giving cash payment to the farmers this year. There could be some delay but all payments would be cleared within one or two days."
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First-timer in Naulatha
Panipat, January 19 She became a primary member of the INLD couple of days before the allocation of ticket. Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Satbir Singh Kadian, who represented this constituency three times in 1987, 1991 and 2000, was denied ticket. Forty-eight-year-old Ramratti was teaching at Kanya Gurukul, Khanpur Kalan, before she was given ticket. She had to resign from for contesting the elections. She is contesting the elections on the issue of development work done during the tenure of the Chautala government. She is promising the electorate that the remaining development work of the area would be completed and that Israna would be made a subdivision if she is elected. In the fray for 10th time
One of the senior Congress leaders of Haryana and former minister, Ms Parsanni Devi, is trying her luck for the 10th time in the state Assembly elections. Contesting elections from different constituencies since her first victory from Rajaund in 1962, she registered victory in 1967, 1968 and 1972 from Indri and in 1982 from Naulatha. Having borne defeat four times, she had to satisfy with the third place in Naulatha in 2000. She remained a minister for 10 years during the Congress rule. Having held key posts, she is presently the vice-president of the state Congress unit. She was allocated ticket after its cancellation to former minister Bijander Singh Kadian. She is promising to make Naulatha a sub- division if elected, apart from overall development of the segment. She is facing four corruption cases filed by the state Vigilance Bureau eight years ago during the Bansi Lal government. Many-time defector
Forty-three-year-old Balwan Sharma started his political career in 1991 and in the same year he was elected sarpanch of his Ahar village. Starting his career with the Congress, he also remained the president of the Youth Congress of the Naulatha constituency between 1991 and 1995. However, he left the Congress to contest the 1996 Assembly elections as an Independent. Later, he joined the INLD in 2000 to leave it in 2004. After leaving the INLD, he joined the EKta Shakti Party and later left it, too, to join the BJP a couple of days before the allocation of ticket to him. He is facing a rebel BJP candidate, Mr Jagbir Arya, who is contesting on BSP ticket after resigning from the membership of the state BJP executive over the allocation of ticket to a newcomer. Mr Sharma has also been a member of the district grievance committee for the past five years. Born in 1962, he is a matriculate. If elected, he promises overall development of the area, besides a grain market.
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BJP ropes in Gaur Gurgaon,
January 19 Mr Gaur, addressing a public meeting at Wazirabad village, charged the INLD and the Congress with the culture of dynastic rule. He said the people of Haryana wanted to see the BJP as the third alternative to the INLD and the Congress. The BJP was building itself to form a government on its own in the state. The reason for the BJP’s move to rope in Mr Gaur is not far to seek. The Gurgaon Assembly segment falls in the Ahirwal belt which has a sizeable chunk of Yadav voters in this constituency. Mr Gaur hails from the Yadav community and the BJP hopes to cash in on this. In response to a question, he said the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and his immediate predecessor, Ms Uma Bharti would also campaign in Haryana. He said Ms Bharti had decided to remain active in national politics and there was no rift between him and her.
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Committee on poll ads Chandigarh, January 19 The committee will be headed by Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Haryana
B.R. Beri and would have Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer, Panchkula, Neelam
Kasni, and Mr K S Dhatwalia, Director, Public Relations, Press Information Bureau, Chandigarh, as other two members.
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Parties seek support of star campaigners in Bihar Patna, January 19 The BJP is ahead of other parties in planning the tours of their charismatic leaders which include former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, party President L.K. Advani, firebrand leader Uma Bharti, former party President Venkaiah Naidu and Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Raman Singh, Babulal Gaur and Vasundhara Raje, respectively. Cinestar-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha has been appointed in charge of the BJP campaign in the state with party general secretaries Arun Jaitley, Pramod Mahajan and Rajnath Singh to monitor and advise the state unit on campaign affairs. BJP sources said Mr Vajpayee would address election meetings at Bhagalpur and Sasaram on January 27 while Mr Advani was likely to visit Bihar on January 31. Ms Uma Bharti begins electioneering for her party candidates on January 22 while Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh would arrive the following day. BPCC sources said the list of Congress leaders, who would join the campaign in Bihar was yet to be finalised although the state unit had requested the high command to arrange the visits of crowd pullers like AICC President Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a host of union ministers. The participation of young Gandhis, Priyanka and Rahul, would give a boost to the Congress campaign, sources said, adding that the services of union ministers from the state was already available, besides two AICC secretaries Hari Prasad and Ranji Thomas, who had been camping in Patna for the past few days. Bihar would witness the visits of several national-level leaders of the CPI and CPM to boost the prospects of Left party candidates. CPI state secretary Badri Narayan Lal said that Mr A.K. Anjan, Mr D. Raja and Mr Amarjit Kaur would travel across the state, besides party General Secretary A.B. Bardhan, who would be available for a couple of days. The CPM has a long list of leaders for electioneering, including West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya, although their programmes are yet to be finalised. For Mr Samajwadi Party, UP Chief Minister and party President Mulayam Singh Yadav will lead a host of other leaders, General secretary Amar Singh and son of party President Akhilesh Singh have made several trips to Bihar after the elections were declared. The RJD and The LJP would primarily depend on the charisma of Mr Laloo Prasad and Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, while for the JD(U), party President George Fernandes, Mr Sharad Yadav and Mr Nitish Kumar would be the star campaigners.
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