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Rohtak, Jhajjar
The diminishing ‘Lal’ factor
Yamunanagar ELECTS |
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Panipat ELECTS
Tough challenge for Cong in Assandh, straight fight in Karnal
Scindia, Karan Singh boost Ranjit’s campaign
Ellenabad jinxed for Chautala, says Cong
CPM for revamping PDS
Vehicle trouble for SAD candidate
Leftists focusing on Kalanaur
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It’s Hooda clan vs others
Bijendra Ahlawat Tribune News Service
Rohtak, October 9 Even in Meham and Beri, where there is a strong anti-incumbency factor against sitting Congress MLAs Anand Singh Dangi and Raghubir Singh Kadian, respectively, voters are favourably inclined towards Hooda. Since Hooda has become the star campaigner of his party after Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, no one expects him to campaign in his native district. The onus has fallen on his son and local MP Deepender. Since even he is in great demand from Congress candidates from other districts, it his mother Asha Hooda, who is holding the fort. Meham created history when its self-respecting residents did not give in to the diktats of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala that led to the rise of the son of soil, Dangi, in 1989. Dangi, once known as the tiger of the area, is today struggling to retain his seat. Though the INLD, the BJP, the BSP and the HJC have their candidates here, the main contest is likely to be between Dangi and Shamsher Singh, sarpanch of Madina (Dangi’s native village), who is contesting as an Independent. In Beri, Kadian, Haryana Assembly Speaker, is facing rough weather. A Congress rebel, Chhatar Singh, alias Chatre Pehalwan, contesting as an Independent, is getting a good response. The contest is likely to be triangular among Kadian, INLD candidate Om Prakash Beri and Chhatar Singh. There is no contest in the new Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi constituency, because it is the home turf of the Chief Minister. The INLD has fielded a civil engineer, Satish Nandal, who had contested the election for presidentship of north India’s prestigious Jat Education Society, Rohtak, before joining the green party last year, and is relying on issues like price rise, corruption and the law and order situation. But he is no match to Hooda. The Congress candidate, Bharat Bhushan Batra, a fresh face, is the personal choice of Hooda for the Rohtak seat. His main rival is BJP’s Munish Grover. All contestants are new faces in the reserved constituency of Kalanaur, represented by Kartar Devi till her death. The ruling party has again chosen a woman candidate, Shakuntala Khatak, from here. Khatak, a nurse in the PGIMS, Rohtak, is the only woman candidate in this constituency. An important town of the NCR situated on the entry point to the state, Bahadurgarh, is witnessing a contest among three former MLAs. The Congress has renominated Rajender Singh Joon; the INLD has fielded its old warhorse Nafe Singh Rathi. The BJP candidate is Naresh Malik, outgoing MLA from Hassangarh, which now stands abolished. Geeta Bhukkal, an outgoing MLA from Kalayat, has been transplanted by the Congress in Jhajjar, where the INLD is trying Kanta Devi, an old hand. Kanta, a former minister, is raising the issue of outsider versus local. The Congress candidate, who now prefers to be called “Geeta Matanhel”, as she hailed from this village in the district before her marriage, calls herself a daughter of the area. The Badli seat is locked in a three-cornered contest among Congress’ Naresh Sharma, who won last time from here as an Independent; Bijender Chahar, another Independent; and Rajender Aheri of the INLD. The BJP has nominated Sanjay Kablana.
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The diminishing ‘Lal’ factor
Hisar, October 9 The era in which one of the three Lals of Haryana politics influenced the outcome of the poll is effectively over. Devi Lal’s legacy is now practically confined to Sirsa district. The Bansi Lal factor, too, is now limited to Bhiwani district only. Likewise, the Bhajan Lal factor is relevant only in Hisar district. The other shift is a direct outcome of the elimination of the Lal factor. Till a few years ago, the Jats perceived any Devi Lal-led political organisation as the right party to be in. The Congress was considered a predominantly non-Jat party despite the domination of Bansi Lal in the party for a long time. This view gained greater currency with the arrival of Bhajan Lal on the scene. For several years, he remained the leading light of the party claiming the support of the non-Jats. However, all this changed after the 2005 assembly poll. The anti-incumbency tsunami swept the Congress to power. The party responded to the Jat support by elevating Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a Jat, as the Chief Minister. Since then, the party has consolidated its hold over the Jat community beginning with Rohtak, Sonepat and Jhajjar districts and later in the remaining Jat heartland. There has been a marked change in the political preferences of the Jats also. While earlier, the Jats were keen to see either a member of the Devi Lal clan or Bansi Lal as Chief Minister, they now are happy to see a fellow Jat as Chief Minister even if he is from the Congress. This has become Hooda’s main strength. The marginalisation of both Bhajan Lal and his political outfit and the failure of the BJP to project a suitable non-Jat leader left non-Jat communities with no alternative except the Congress or the BSP. The BSP, despite its impressive performance in the Lok Sabha poll, failed to capitalise on its feat. These factors have led the Congress to a situation where it enters the fray with Jats as an important vote bank and non-Jats as its traditional vote bank with no Lal factor to deal with. |
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Fight between money bags
Kiran Deep Tribune News Service
Yamunanagar, October 9 They are similar in more ways than one. Both are contesting elections for the first time. Both have gone for aggressive campaigning and are making ample use of their resources to woo the voter. They appear omnipresent with huge banners and posters all along the roads of Yamunanagar. A long cavalcade of vehicles is their campaign style. Both claim they have entered the political battle to serve the people and not to expand their economic empire. The similarities do not end here. Both have criminal cases pending against them. An FIR under Section 306, IPC (abetment to suicide), against Chawla is registered at the Poanta Sahib police Station in Himachal Pradesh. However, charges are yet to be framed. Four FIRs pending against Dilbag Singh include one under Section 307, IPC (attempt to murder), in Yamunanagar. However, charges have not been framed yet and the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the proceedings in all cases. The Radaur assembly segment of the district, comprising mostly rural areas, has become a prestigious seat for the Congress because the party candidate, Suresh Dhanda, has been sponsored by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi. Dhanda is among the four nominees selected by Rahul in the state. Suresh had worked with Rahul during his roads shows and relief work in various states. Dhanda is being strongly challenged by Bishan Lal of the INLD, besides Sham Singh of the BJP and Ashwani Kumar of the BSP. The Jagadhri constituency is witnessing a triangular contest among sitting Congress MLA Subhash Chand, former minister Akram Khan of the BSP and former MLA Kanwar Pal of the BJP. After delimitation, a large chunk of the erstwhile Chhachhrauli constituency has been merged with Jagadhri. Akram Khan and Kanwar Pal, who had earlier won elections from Chhachhrauli, are now contesting from Jagadhri. Subhash Chand has won twice from here. A triangular contest seems on the cards among the Congress nominee Rajpal, INLD’s Balwant Singh and BSP’s Ravi Bhushan in the Sadhaura (reserved) constituency.
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Panipat ELECTS
Panipat, October 9 In the newly carved out and male-dominated Panipat rural constituency, where two women contestants have stood up not only against the patriarchal mindset but also against each other to contest the elections, uncertainty is what defines the political atmosphere. Seasoned contestant Parsani Devi, who has already made it to the state assembly from different constituencies on the Congress ticket, is pitched against INLD’s Bimla Kadian, wife of former speaker of state assembly Satbir Kadian. While Parsani Devi is struggling against corruption charges, Bimla Kadian is finding it difficult to find a rock-hard political standing as many have labeled her as a “proxy candidate” of her husband Satbir Kadian, a tag vigorously denied by her. As far as the political equations are concerned, the odds against the two women are likely to prove beneficial for Bijender Kadian, former minister in the Bansi Lal-led HVP government, who is contesting the election on the HJC ticket. The other two contestants - BJP’s Surinder Ahlawat and BSP’s Satinder Kashyap - are still struggling to woo voters in the constituency. In the urban segment of Panipat, the contest is between sitting Congress legislator Balbir Pal Shah and BJP’s Sanjay Bhatia. Shah, a four-time MLA, is known for his honesty. He is credited with leading the state Congress in a time when there were only five legislators from the party in the state assembly. Sanjay Bhatia is known as a hard-working leader. His prospects in the last assembly elections were marred by internal bickering within the party and even this time the situation is no different for him. However, political observers maintain that he is a strong contender. The INLD has chosen to field industrialist Suresh Mittal, who initially refused to contest, but later agreed after being asked by party chief Om Prakash Chautala. He has held the post of president of the Veopar cell of the party and at present is the vice-president in the INLD. Balbir Pal Shah’s close associate Vinod Vadera, who parted ways with the Congress after being denied the ticket despite a strong recommendation by Karnal MP Arvind Sharma, is vying to enter the assembly on the HJC ticket from here. At Samalkha, the NCP has nominated former Rajya Sabha MP Hari Singh Nalwa, who has stood up against Congress party’s state youth president Sanjay Chhokar. HJC’s Dharam Singh Chhokar is banking upon the Gujjar vote bank of the constituency. While the future of BJP’s Anju Chhokar, who abandoned the Congress and then the HJC to bag the BJP ticket, continues to be full of uncertainties. In Israna, first-time contestants - Balbir Balmiki (Congress), Sat Pal (BJP), Rakesh Saroha (HJC) and Kuldeep Balmiki (BSP) - are battling against three-time MLA Kishan Lal Pawar. Being a new constituency, this seat is also likely to throw open some close contest between the candidates, who are trying to get hold of the changed political scenario here.
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Tough challenge for Cong in Assandh, straight fight in Karnal
Karnal, October 9 Many political leaders with substantial clout were waiting in the wings to contest the elections from this constituency after delimitation but the Congress chose to field a greenhorn, Ramesh
Chawdhary, who had been struggling to establish his identity and facing revolt from within. Senior Congress leader Raghbir Singh
Virk, a strong contender for the party ticket, has entered the fray as an Independent but Chawdhary has been facing a real challenge from Zila Ram Sharma of the
HJC, Baksheesh Singh of the BJP and Yashpal Rana (Independent). Prem Singh Rod
(INLD) and Anil Rana (BSP) are among 16 candidates in the fray. The poor track record of sitting Congress MLA Raj Rani Poonam is also weighing heavily on the minds of the electorate, who are reminding the Congress campaigners about broken promises like opening of Government College, polytechnic, hospital and building infrastructure and giving credit to Virk for opening of sugar mill. The votes of Sikhs will be divided between two candidates - Raghubir Singh Virk and Baksheesh Singh
(BJP) while Anil Rana and Varinder Maratha are making a dent in Dalit and Rod votes. The caste divide and odd political equations have strengthened the position of Zila Ram Sharma who had all along worked in the constituency and generated respect and sympathy from different sections of society. In the adjoining constituency of
Karnal, sitting Congress MLA Sumita Singh is comfortably placed, as there are no voices of revolt against her and has worked hard to keep her support base intact. She had defeated Jai Prakash Gupta (Independent) by 33,997 votes in 2005 elections but this time Gupta has entered the fray as the HJC candidate. Gupta had lobbied hard for the Congress ticket but could not get the ticket and maintaining his past record of quitting the Congress after denial of ticket, he jumped into the HJC bandwagon just two days before filing of nominations. Another political turncoat in the fray was Balwinder Singh
Kalra, president of the Karnal Municipal Council, who first joined the HJC and then switched to the
BSP. |
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Scindia, Karan Singh boost Ranjit’s campaign
Sirsa, October 9 Hooda began the day by addressing a rally at Madhosinghana village, where he addressed a rally in support of Bharat Singh Beniwal (Ellenabad), who is facing INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala. Hooda then reached Rania, where Dr Karan Singh also joined him while he was addressing the rally. Scindia reached the rally venue after Hooda had left for Bhattu Kalan and Tohana, where he addressed election meetings for Dura Ram and Paramveer Singh, respectively. Earlier, Hooda addressed rallies for Jarnail Singh at Ratia, Sushil Indora at Kalanwali, KV Singh at Dabwali and LD Arora in Sirsa town yesterday. The tone and tenor of Hooda’s speeches in these meetings was hard hitting against the INLD and its leader Chautala. First comparing steps taken by him like higher MSP for crops, loan waiver, electricity bill waiver and abolishing a draconian law that authorised the authorities to jail farmers for the non-repayment of loans with the alleged killings of farmers during the Chautala regime, Hooda asked people to take decision after taking these facts in to consideration. Hooda hinted at inducting Ranjit Singh into his future cabinet in case his party was voted to power. In Bhattu and Sirsa, Hooda clarified that Independents contesting the poll had no place in the party. Earlier, in the morning Hooda took time off to play tennis and played a few shots of cricket in the Sirsa Club. Both Jyotiraditya Scindia and Dr Karan Singh cited their family relations with Ranjit Singh and asked people to vote for him. Scindia said only the Congress believed in secular values and took all steps with the interests of the nation as supreme. Later, Scindia mingled with people on their demand and shook hands with them. |
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In step with their spouses
Ambala, October 9 Says Shakti Rani, wife of Congress candidate Venod Sharma, a seasoned campaigner, as she moves door to door, accompanied by her daughter Prachi and sister Anita Dada: “Campaigning this time has been easier. Last time we had to campaign extensively as the constituency was a new one. This time, we have had a very good response.” She feels the yellow BPL card needs to be advertised more as people don’t understand its significance. “A woman’s life is never easy,” says Naib Kaur, breaking into a smile. Her husband Nirmal Singh is contesting from Ambala Cantt on the Congress ticket. “Campaigning for my husband since 1996, I’ve seen many ups and downs,. Now I’ve got used to it.” A housemaker, Kaur was pushed into campaigning when her husband was arrested in 1996 on a murder charge. With her husband’s constituency changed, campaigning this time has been different. Kaur says unlike the nukkad meetings in villages, in Ambala Cantt it’s door-to-door campaigning that counts. She says the main problems ailing the constituency are of sewerage, drinking water and power. Not all politicians have spouses by their side. Former MLA Anil Vij of the BJP and Haryana state Congress president Phool Chand Mullana say: “We are as good as two. And then we have the mahila morcha members to reach out to the women voters.” |
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Ellenabad jinxed for Chautala, says Cong
Ellenabad (Sirsa), October 9 This time, the Congress has been raising an issue of alleged jinx involved with Ellenabad and Chautala and party’s nominee Bharat Singh Beniwal has been mentioning this in all election meetings. According to the jinx mentioned by the Congress, the day Chautala was sacked as Chief Minister after the Meham Mayhem-II in 90s, he was in Ellenabad. “From that day, Chautala never visited Ellenabad as Chief Minister when he was in power from 2000 to 2005 for the fear of that jinx,” says Beniwal. “Why is he seeking votes from the area that he considered a curse for him when he was Chief Minister,” he asks and maintains that Chautala constructed a bypass during his tenure only to skip the town. He says even when Chautala was organising Sarkar Aapke Dwar throughout the state; he never came to Ellenabad. However, the INLD is taking the victory here as a foregone conclusion. Both Ajay and Abhey Chautala have been campaigning aggressively in the constituency in the absence of their father, who is busy campaigning throughout the state. |
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Be wary of Cong promises, says Sushma
Ambala, October 9 The government made tall promises even in the Lok Sabha elections, but they hiked the prices of diesel and petrol immediately after the elections. Swaraj said this while addressing a rally in Ambala City in favour of BJP candidate Dr Sanjay Sharma. She stated that despite promises made by Congress MLA from the same constituency Venod Sharma, no industries had been set up here. In another rally, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal accused the Congress government of failing to control the prices of essential commodities and said its declaration of controlling it within 100 days of assuming power during the Lok Sabha elections had proved a mere election stunt. Badal was addressing rallies at Jandheri, Kathgarh, Sounta, Naggal, Mianmajra and Manakpur villages in favour of SAD-INLD candidate Charanjit Kaur Mallour. Lashing out at the Hooda government, the SAD leader said there were no health facilities or any other infrastructure for the people of Haryana and peasantry and other classes of society faced many problems during the tenure of the government.
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CPM for revamping PDS
Hisar, October 9 Addressing an poll meeting in support of party candidate Suresh Kumar at Barwala near here, he said the Congress had rendered the PDS completely useless. In the CPM scheme of things, the APL and BPL categories should be done away with and essential commodities should be made available to everyone. He said the Haryana government had handed over large tracts of prime land to industrial houses for establishing SEZs. However, not a single unit had come up. |
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Vehicle trouble for SAD candidate
Sirsa, October 9 SK Setia, Returning Officer of the Kalanwali (reserved) assembly seat, has served a show-cause notice to the SAD candidate for violating the model code of conduct. Setia said the SAD candidate had been using a large number of vehicles for campaigning without proper permission and had also displayed a number of flags on houses. He said the candidate had got hundreds of motorcycles, cars and other vehicles from Punjab. |
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Leftists focusing on Kalanaur
Rohtak, October 9 Some senior national leaders of the CPM and the CPI have toured the constituency here to garner support for party candidate Bijender Baliyana, though election analysts have claimed that it will be a direct fight between the Congress and the INLD. The CPI and the CPM had been able to win one seat each in the 1967 elections. While CPM leader and member of the Politburo Brinda Karat had toured the constituency on Tuesday, Comrade Tapan Sen, Rajya Sabha member Sudha Sundarraman addressed the party workers and voters in Gaukaran Talab here today.
— TNS |
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