Direct contest likely between BJP, Cong in Israna
In the Israna (Reserved) Assembly constituency, the BJP wants to wrest the seat from the Congress in these elections while the Congress will strive to retain it for the second consecutive term. People are eagerly waiting for the announcement of Congress aspirant as the BJP announced its candidate for Israna late in the evening today. This time, too, the BJP has fielded former minister and five-time MLA Krishan Lal Panwar. Supporters of the BJP and the Congress are leaving no stone unturned to woo voters. Many can be seen organising public meetings daily in their areas.
Sitting MLA Balbir Singh Balmiki of the Congress had defeated BJP's former minister and five-time MLA Krishan Lal Panwar in 2019 elections by 20,015 votes. But this time, too, the BJP has fielded him. The Israna Assembly seat came into existence with two small towns, Israna and Madlauda, in 2009 after the delimitation process. Krishan Lal Panwar had been elected MLA from here on the INLD ticket. But in 2014, Panwar joined the saffron party and elected an MLA again from here and was State Transport and Jails Minister during the first regime of the BJP government.
in Israna constituency. Photo: Sukhjinder Saroha
But in 2019, after Panwar contested unsuccessfully, the BJP sent him to the Rajya Sabha.
In the Assembly polls 2024, the situation is different as the BJP has fielded Panwar to wrest this seat from the Congress.
In the BJP, the names of Ashok Tanwar, Krishan Lal Panwar, Roshan Lal Mahla and Ramphal Chidana were prominent in the list of aspirants, who were trying their best to get a ticket from here. Party sources said the party wanted to field Tanwar but he was least interested in contesting from this seat. Krishan Lal Panwar was lobbying hard to get the ticket and he finally got it, said the sources.
Similarly in the Congress, a total of 33 aspirants -- including sitting MLA Balmiki and former MLA Rajrani Poonam and others have applied for the ticket from the seat. Balmiki is considered to be very close to former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and he is confident about getting the ticket from the Congress.
However, the tickets would be finalised by the Congress very soon as the nomination process would start from Thursday onwards. But, the aspirants have launched their campaigning and meetings in the constituency.
Political experts say theIsrana constituency has become a hotspot in these elections as the BJP has fielded former Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Krishan Lal Panwar while the Congress is most likely to field Balmiki. The JJP and INLD do not seem to be in the race from this constituency this time, say the political experts.
They said under such circumstances, it seemed that there would be a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress.
‘JJP, INLD not likely to be in the race’
Political experts say theIsrana constituency has become a hotspot in these elections as the BJP has fielded former Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Krishan Lal Panwar while the Congress is most likely to field Balmiki. The JJP and INLD do not seem to be in the race from this constituency this time, say the political experts.
