Chandigarh, February 18
With the Election Commission advancing the date for counting of votes for the Haryana Assembly elections from February 27 to February 23, the heartbeat of the candidates has increased manifold. Even those who seem confidently placed in their constituencies are keeping their fingers crossed. Those who are locked in close contests, their anxiety is palpable.
It has been a long wait for them to know the result, 20 days precisely. A candidate said: “We are feeling the same as students feel while they are waiting for the outcome of their examination results.”
Most of the candidates, after resting for a couple of days, spent the waiting time in catching up with their social life, visiting their supporters’ houses, either to congratulate them on marriage in their families, or to pay their condolences if there were any bereavement. Many went on a pilgrimage to appease gods in the hope of a favourable result.
It the Haryana Congress working president, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, went to the Vaishno Devi cave in Jammu and Kashmir, his colleague from Palwal, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, went to Mathura to seek the blessings of Lord Krishna.
The officiating leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, bowed before Lord Hanuman at Balaji in Rajasthan.
The Congress candidate from Yamunanagar, Mrs Krishna Pandit, instead of going on a pilgrimage, prefers to worship in “Ghar ka mandir”. She says she would stay at home and serve voters.
The Independent candidate from Ambala cantonment, Mr Anil Vij, is convalescing after he fractured his hand in a pre-poll clash with his rivals. He had been to the PGI, Chandigarh, where doctors advised him not to put stress on his hand. He is also fighting against certain police officers, who, he alleges, have implicated him in a false case at the behest of the BJP.
The BJP nominee from Ambala cantonment, Mr Ravi Sehgal, spends his in meeting his supporters. Unfortunately, the Congress candidate, Mr Devender Bansal, lost his father a few days ago.
The former Haryana Congress president, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, who contested from Kaithal, spent the first few days after the polling in clearing the bills and preparing election expenditure account. Now he spends most of his time shuttling between Kaithal, Narwana, Delhi and Chandigarh. His rival, Mr Kailash Bhagat of the INLD, as well as the Congress nominee from Hisar, Mr Om Prakash Jindal, who neglected their business during the campaigning, are now looking after their commercial interests.
Mr Shadi Lal Batra of the Congress and Mr Manish Grover (BJP), both candidates from Rohtak, are devoting time to “social visits” which had been pending for the past month or so. Besides, they said they were meeting groups of party workers to take stock of the electioneering and identifying their weak as well as strong points. But mainly, they said, they were busy with their “social responsibilities.”
Enquiries reveal that candidates from rural constituencies are using the excuse of “social engagements” to remain unavailable to villagers visiting them in connection with the impending panchayat polls. This, insiders say, is unavoidable because at this stage they cannot commit themselves to any of the candidates for the forthcoming poll.
The sitting INLD MLA from Gurgaon, Mr Gopi Chand Gehlot, says that he has taken a sabbatical from politics for the time being as he is tending to domestic front. “I have fallen behind on the domestic front, so I have lot of catching up to do, which I am doing in right earnest.” Mr Gehlot married his daughter and son during this period.
Mr Dharambir Gauba (Congress) and Mrs Sudha Yadav (BJP), both from Gurgaon, remain busy in meeting their party workers and supporters, like so many other candidates.
Inputs from Yoginder Gupta, Raman Mohan, Ravi S. Singh and
Rahul Dass
