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Role of Bansi Lal pivotal in Bhiwani
INLD prestige at stake in Sirsa
Rebels cause of concern for Congress
Anti-incumbency stares INLD in the face
Jagir Kaur seeks votes for INLD
Spirit of festivity missing, courtesy EC
Assembly Seats Kalka, Naraingarh
602 polling booths in Kaithal
Congress not keeping word, says Arora
9 poll vehicles impounded
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Role of Bansi Lal pivotal in Bhiwani
Bhiwani, January 25 The Congress candidates of four of the seven Assembly segments in the district are related to him. His son, Mr Surender Singh, is contesting from Tosham; another son, Mr Ranbir Mohindra, from Mundhal Khurd and son-in-law Somvir Singh from Loharu. Then Mr Ram Kishen Fauji, former MLA of the erstwhile Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) headed by Mr Bansi Lal, is the Congress candidate from the Bawani Khera (SC) constituency. The old war-horse has cast his shadow on the Dadri and Badhra
constituencies as well. Mr Narpender Singh and Mr Satpal Sangwan, Independent candidates from the Badhra and Dadri constituencies, respectively, are claiming to have Mr Bansi Lal’s blessings. Both Mr Narpender Singh and Mr Sangwan were MLAs from the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) in 1996. They lost in the February, 2000, Assembly elections fought by them on the HVP ticket. The merger of the HVP into the Congress resulted into these two aspirants being left without a party as the Congress had other plans about nominations from Badhra and Dadri. Not to be deterred by such setbacks, both Mr Narpender Singh and Mr Satpal Sangwan filed papers as Independent candidates. The HVP worker network in these constituencies is helping them. Mr Bansi Lal himself stepped out yesterday for campaigning for the first time for the February 3 poll when he addressed a public meeting at Bawani Khera in the company of Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi, Lok Sabha member from Bhiwani and son of HPCC chief Bhajan
Lal. It is still not clear whether he will campaign for any other Congress candidate from Bhiwani other than the four aspirants belonging to his camp. In the Bhiwani Assembly segment, Mr Bansi Lal has not made his preference known yet, Mr Shiv Shankar Bhardwaj, the official Congress nominee who is also a
well known surgeon of this area, however, has costed up with Mr Bhajan Lal. Mr Bhardwaj was initially thought to be an associate of Mr Birender Singh, a former HPCC chief. But recently there was a clear indication of Mr Bhardwaj’s loyalty when Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi landed up in Bhiwani to address a workers meeting to motivate the Congress nominee’s workers. The INLD candidate from Bhiwani is Mr Vasudev Sharma, who fought the 2000 elections as a Congress nominee and was defeated by Mr Bansi Lal. The INLD has refused the ticket to its sitting MLA, Mr Shashi Parmar, in Mundhal Khurd and nominated a fresh candidate, Mr Raghvir Singh, also a Rajput like Mr Parmar. He is engaged in a contest with Mr Ranbir Singh Mohindra, who is chief of the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI). At least in three other seats — Bawani Khera, Tosham and Loharu, the contest appears to be a straight fight between the Congress and the INLD. In Dadri and Bhadra, the scene is still nebulous owing to the existence erstwhile HVP legislators in the fray. The Bhiwani seat, BJP candidate Ghanshyam Dass Sarraf is also believed to be in the fight with the Congress and the INLD.
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INLD prestige at stake in Sirsa
Sirsa, January 25 It is constituted of Assembly segments of Rori, Sirsa, Darba, Dabwali and Ellanabad(SC) seats. In the last Assembly poll, the INLD won four seats except the Sirsa seat when it contested along with the BJP. Rori is the most prestigious seat in the state as the Congress is trying to defeat the CM in his political stronghold segment. A straight contest between the INLD and the Congress is seen with the BJP fielding all new and inexperienced faces in the district, a stronghold of the two parties. Rori:
Congress leader and former Irrigation Minister Jagdish Nehra is facing Mr Chautala from here. He is known as the best figure to face the CM in his home district. Though Mr Nehra lost the last elections by a good margin, he is ready for a tough fight. The INLD is also not ready to take a chance and MLA Abhey Singh Chautala is camping in the constituency and canvassing in the absence of his father. Winning the Rori seat seems to be a prestige issue for the INLD as the CM is contesting from here, besides Narwana from where he is facing a challenge from president of the state Congress Randeep Singh Surjewala. Ms Renu Sharma (BJP), former district president of the women’s cell of the party, is contesting for the first time. Ellanabad:
Here it will be an interesting contest between the INLD and the Congress. The former Sirsa MP has replaced the five-time MLA, Mr Bhagiram. Dr Sushil Indora(INLD) is contesting for the first time for the Assembly elections. He represented the Sirsa parliamentary twice but lost the last election. Congress rebel Om Prakash Keharwal is contesting as an Independent against Mr Maniram Keharwala(Congress). Mr R.L. Bamnia of the BJP is a new face from here. SIRSA:
MLA Lachhman Das Arora, who represented the Sirsa constituency four times in the state legislature, will again contest on Congress ticket. The veteran Congressman who is close to Mr Bhajan Lal has a strong following among Punjabis here. The INLD has fielded a senior party worker but he is a new face in the Assembly elections. He is Mr Padam Jain, president of the municipal committee. He is also the district president of the INLD. Mr Srinivas Sharma, an ayurvedic practitioneer, is contesting on BJP ticket and is a newcomer. DARBA KALAN:
It will be a tough contest between family members. There will be a close contest between INLD MLA Vidya Beniwal and Congress candidate Bharat Singh Beniwal. Both are controversial and sworn enemies. Mr Rajbir Godara, BJP candidate from here, is with the farmers’ cell of the BJP. Dabwali(SC): A dentist and MLA, Dr Sita Ram(INLD), is contesting for the second time. He is a second generation MLA. Congress nominee Jagan Nath is a newcomer and cousin of Ms Seilja who is canvassing for him. Another new face fielded by the BJP here is Mr Jagtar Singh.
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Rebels cause of concern for Congress
Kaithal, January 25 In these constituencies, the rebel candidates were going neck-and-neck in the poll campaign disturbing the trends of the ruling Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Congress. In the Pai constituency, nine candidates are in the fray but the main contest was likely to be among Mr Sajjan Singh Dhun (Cong), sitting MLA, and Irrigation Minister Rampal Majra (INLD), Mr Nar Singh Dhanda (BJP) and Independent Tejinder Pal Mann. Mr Deepa (BSP), Mr Ishwar Singh, Ramphal, Jagdish and Fauji Hawa Singh Dhul are contesting as Independent candidates. The Pai constituency came into existence in 1977. The Congress had won the seat only once in the 1991 Assembly elections when its candidate, Mr Tejinder Pal Mann, defeated Janata Party candidate Nar Singh Dhanda by 10,848 votes. Earlier, the Lok Dal had won the seat twice in the 1982 and 1987 elections while Vishal Haryana Party headed by Rao Birender Singh won the seat in 1977 elections In the Kalayat constituency, eight candidates are contesting the elections. However, the main contest was likely to be among new entrant Geeta Bhukkal (Cong), Mr Pritam Singh Kolekhan (INLD), Mr Jaswant Pathania (BJP) and Independent candidate Baldev Balmiki. Other candidates in the fray from here include Mr Balwan Singh (BSP), Mr Surendra Singh (Lok Dal), Mr Om Prakash, Mr Ramesh Kumar and Mr Baldev Singh, all Independent candidates. The Congress won the Kalayat seat only once 1968 when its candidate, Mr Bhagtu Ram defeated sitting MLA Maru Ram of the Socialist Party by 4,119 votes. In 1977, Mr Preet Singh (Janata Party) defeated Independent candidate Maru Ram by 7,459 votes. In the 2000 Assembly elections Mr Dina Ram (INLD) won the elections. In the Pundri constituency, there are 13 candidates in the fray. The main contest, however, was likely to be between Mr Bhag Singh Arya (Cong), Mr Narendra Sharma (INLD), Mr Randhir Singh Golan (BJP) and rebel Congress candidate Dinesh Kaushik. Among others who were contesting the elections include Mr Prem Singh Dhiman (BSP), Mr Lija Ram, Mr Pawan Kumar Sharma, Mr Dharam Pal, Mr Satya Prakash, Mr Hitendra Singh, Mr Joginder Singh, engineer Kali Ram Mohna and comrade Babu Ram, all Independent candidates. Since the formation of Haryana in 1966, the Congress has won four times from this seat in the 1967, 1972, 1982 and 1991 elections.
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Anti-incumbency stares INLD in the face
Gharaunda, January 25 Another former local Congress leader Jai Pal Sharma, who was an aspirant for the party ticket, was also contesting the elections as an Independent. He has a say in the area with some committed voters from among the Congress supporters who would prefer to vote for him rather than the official nominee. While there was a strong anti-incumbency factor against the ruling INLD candidate, but the visible divide among committed voters of the Congress had made the elections in this constituency interesting. Moreover, the INLD has also played a gamble by dropping sitting MLA Ramesh Rana and fielding his wife, Ms Rekha Rana, in a bid to retain its vote bank bringing a new face from the fair sex. BSP candidate Ram Pal Kashyap and BJP candidate Ramesh Kashyap too enjoy support from a section of the voters. Ms Sushma Kashyap (CPI), Jujjhar Singh Vahla, Jaffar Ansari and Yashpal, all independents, are also in the fray. During the last Lok Sabha elections, the Congress polled 31,389 votes from this Assembly segment when there was no division among local leaders of the party. The INLD polled just 10,975 votes, the BSP 9,371, the BJP 14,655 and the Ekta Shakti 11,081 votes. As far as the caste equations were concerned, the backward and Scheduled Castes were equally dominating the area comprising with in 27,500 and 27,140 voters, respectively. The vote-bank of other communities was Jats (7,887), Rors (11,716), Rajputs (19,889), Gujjars (2,996), Arora-Khatris (7,397), Brahmins (9,203), Banias (4,230), Sainis (2,621), Sikhs 2,885 and others 3,049 votes. Interestingly, the vote-bank of Rajputs has been divided among the Ekta Shakti, Congress and INLD candidates. Since, there was no other candidate from the Ror community it is by and large associated with the Ekta Shakti the combination of Rajputs and Rors has virtually given the edge to Kunwar Ram Pal. However, it could be anybody’s game by a narrow margin keeping in view of the clear-cut division among the Congress, the trends available from the last Lok Sabha elections and caste
combinations.
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Jagir Kaur seeks votes for INLD
Kaithal, January 25 She accused the congress of making false promises to the people. She said whenever the Congress has come to power, prices of essential commodities had touched new heights. She alleged the Congress had always remained anti-Sikh, so the Sikhs should vote against it and in favour of the INLD. She also praised INLD candidate Kailash Bhagat for his outstanding social service. She announced that a school would be set up in the area for which the SGPC had already got 12 acres of land. She alleged Mr Amarinder Singh acquired power in Punjab on the basis of false promises made to the people. She said the development activity had come to a standstill in Punjab. Dr Mohinder Singh Shah, Mr Sukhbir Singh Maandi, Mr Sharan Jeet Singh, Mr Buta Singh Lukhi, Mr Nepal Singh Habri, Mr Harpal Singh and a number of Akali activists were present on the occasion.
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Spirit of festivity missing, courtesy EC
Jind, January 25 The biting chill in weather is one factor, but not a major one. Candidates and political parties have failed to generate the spirit of festivity because of the tight control being exercised by the Election Commission
of India. No free caps, “bindis” with hand, symbol of the Congress; paper spectacles (symbol of the ruling INLD), or flags are being distributed among children. The candidates fear that the expenditure observers deputed by the Election Commission may add the cost of these freebies to their account. As your vehicle enters a village, no child now runs after it, demanding flags, caps or other freebies. Children know the chase would be futile. For the same reason only a few vehicles, including auto-rickshaws and cyclerickshaws, are seen in towns making announcements in favour of particular candidates or the party flags atop them. Candidates repeatedly tell their supporters to keep their vehicles at a distance from their motorcade because the commission has allowed only two vehicles to each candidate and it is maintaining a close watch. The commission has also issued instructions to the administration to strictly implement the Prevention of the Property Defacement Act. Barring the Narwana constituency, from where Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and working President of the Haryana Congress Randeep Singh Surjewala are locked in a grim electoral battle. not many flags can be seen atop houses or shops elsewhere. The reason again is the Election Commission. The commission has taken the view that under the Haryana law, the hoisting of party flags atop private property, even with the permission of the owner or even by the owner himself, is an offence. With so many curbs, if the spirit of festivity is missing, it is no But it is not easy to curb the imagination of die-hard supporters. In addition to scare crows, one can see in the countryside flags of the INLD and the Congress hoisted in the fields, depending upon the political loyalty of the land-owner. Because of the restrictions by the commission, the candidates cannot hold public meetings beyond 10 p.m., otherwise a welcome deadline in the winter. Candidates, who want to address as many public meetings in as many villages as possible in a day, skip “chai” at their supporters’ houses towards the evening. However, they keep their date with supporters by visiting their villages again in the night and take “chai” at their house. There is no time restriction on personal contacts. The inclement weather for the past two days has also been a spoilsport. It is too cold to attend a political rally, particularly in the urban areas. One can only hope that the spirit of festivity will revive as the polling day
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Assembly Seats Kalka, Naraingarh
Panchkula, January 25 Of the 10 candidates making a bid to enter the Assembly from the Kalka constituency, six of the candidates, including the BSP candidate, Mr Pawan Randhawa, are first-timers. In Naraingarh, eight candidates, of a total of 12, are political novices, including BJP candidate Sumer Chand Saini and BSP candidate Sat Pal Saini. In both Kalka and Naraingarh, the INLD has fielded old-timers Pradeep Chaudhary and Pawan Diwan Sawhney. Mr Chaudhary, Chairman of Haryana Tourism, is contesting for the third time from the Kalka Assembly seat, while the latter is a sitting MLA and is contesting from Naraingarh for the second time. Mr Chaudhary had contested elections from the Kalka seat in 1993 and during the 1996 Assembly elections. Mr Chander Mohan, three-time MLA from Kalka since 1993, is in the fray for the fourth time. In Naraingarh, the Congress has fielded Mr Ram Kishen. The BJP has fielded Mr Sham Lal Bansal from Kalka who will be contesting for the third time. In Naraingarh, the party is trying its luck with a new face, Mr Sumer Chand Saini. The BSP has brought new faces in both constituencies — Mr Pawan Randhawa in Kalka and Mr Sat Pal Saini in Naraingarh. It is likely to be a three-cornered contest among the Congress, BJP and INLD. In Kalka, the three stalwarts of the Congress, BJP and INLD are straining their guns against one another for the third time. The Kalka seat is a Congress citadel but this time the BJP and the INLD are claiming that there is an anti-incumbency wave against Mr Chander Mohan. In Naraingarh, MLA Pawan Diwan, too, seems to be facing an anti-incumbency wave. The Congress and BJP nominees are taking up the issues of the issues of unemployment and non-payment of dues to sugarcane farmers as their poll planks.
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602 polling booths in Kaithal
Kaithal, January 25 To ensure smooth polling, 2,814 officials and employees, including presiding officers and polling officers, have been deployed on these booths. The District Election Officer, Mr H.S. Malik, said here yesterday that 35 supervisory officers had been appointed. In the Guhla constituency five such supervisory officers have been appointed, six each in Pai, Kaithal and Pundri and seven officers have been posted in Kalayat. In addition, a reserve supervisory officer in each constituency has been appointed.
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Congress not keeping word, says Arora
Chandigarh, January 25 In a statement issued here today, Mr Arora said a party which could gloss over such important issues as the Minorities Commission, the Human Rights Commission and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes Commission in the English translation of its manifesto could not be trusted on any matter. Mr. Arora also alleged that the Congress had wriggled out of the promise made in the election manifesto of 2000 of giving jobs to one member of every family this time. The present manifesto had just ignored this promise now. He termed the Congress manifesto as a document of contradictions and ironies. Mr Arora said the Congress which was talking of decentralisation of power was in the habit of taking every decision from 10, Janpath. In the unlikely scenario of the party coming to power every decision regarding each job, appointment and transfer would be taken from 10, Mr Arora also termed the Congress manifesto as contradictory as the party which had been holding out promises to those employees who had been relieved of their post was now only saying that their cases would be sympathetically treated. A similar kind of contradiction exists in the matter of electricity bills. Mr Arora also warned the Sikhs not to be misled by the promise of the Congress to constitute a separate Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee for Haryana.
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9 poll vehicles impounded
Fatehabad, January 25 According to police sources, two vehicles belonging to the Congress and one to the INLD have been impounded in Fatehabad town. At Rattia, two vehicles belonging to the BJP and one to the INLD have been impounded. At Bhattu Kalan, three vehicles belonging to the Congress have been impounded. The police has warned the supporters of political parties that any vehicle found bearing flags, sirens, posters or banners without valid permit will be impounded. In case any candidate is found moving in a cavalcade of more than three vehicles, the vehicles would be impounded.
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