BJP micro-manages Hisar district, wins 3 seats; Congress wrests 3
The electorate in Hisar has given a divided verdict in the Assembly elections on seven seats in the district as both the BJP and the Congress have won three seats while one seat has been wrested by an Independent candidate.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) data of the final verdict shows that the BJP won Barwala, Hansi and Nalwa seats in the district. The Congress won in Narnaund, Uklana (reserved) and Adampur. The urban segment of Hisar has gone to former minister Savitri Jindal, chairperson of the Jindal Group, known as the richest woman of the country who was in fray as an Independent candidate.
The BJP’s strategy to shift Ranbir Gangwa, who was Deputy Speaker in Haryana Assembly, from his old Nalwa segment to Barwala segment paid off as the party won both seats. Gangwa, who belongs to the OBC community, might have faced personal anti-incumbency in Nalwa segment, which he had represented twice – 2019 (as BJP candidate) and 2014 as INLD candidate. In his place, the BJP fielded a Jat candidate, Randhir Panihar, from Nalwa.
The Congress apparently fell in the BJP trap and fielded an OBC against Gangwa and also fielded a Jat candidate, Anil Maan, against Panihar in Nalwa. The Congress lost both seats as it failed to penetrate into the OBC vote bank and also invited the wrath of Jat voters in Barwala. Vinod Bhayana also retained Hansi seat as the Congress had fielded a turncoat, Rahul Makkar, from here. The internal sabotage in the Congress also damaged the party candidates in Hisar district.
The Congress, however, sailed through in Narnaund, Uklana (reserved) and Adampur seats. In Narnaund, Congress’ Jasvir Singh, known as Jassi Petwar, secured victory over the BJP’s former finance minister Capt Abhimanyu and former MLA Naresh Selwal defeated former minister Anoop Dhanak – who joined the BJP after switching from the JJP just before the polls in Uklana reserved. In Adampur, Chander Prakash of the Congress won by 563 votes against BJP’s Bhavya Bishnoi.
In Hisar, former minister Savitri Jindal defeated Congress candidate Ram Niwas Rara while BJP’s former minister Kamal Gupta was pushed to third spot.
An analysis of the poll outcome indicated that the BJP managed to duck the anti-incumbency with its clever handling of the scenario after the Lok Sabha results when the Congress had registered a significant lead of votes in Nalwa, Adampur, Hansi, besides Narnaund and Uklana segments. However, the Congress infighting due to factionalism did the party candidates in.
