Haryana votes today; BJP eyes third term, Congress a return after decade
As many as 2.03 crore voters will seal the fate of 1,031 candidates for 90 seats when Haryana goes to the polls tomorrow in a keenly contested battle between the BJP and the Congress even as regional parties and Independents, including rebels, could swing results and upset the calculations at nearly a dozen seats.
The voting will be held at 20,632 booths between 7 am and 6 pm, while the results for both Haryana and J&K Assembly elections will be declared on October 8.
Total voters 2,03,54,350
Polling booths 20,632
In fray 1,031
90 seats going to polls
Polling time: 7 am to 6 pm
Internal rebellion notwithstanding, the ruling BJP is hoping to buck anti-incumbency to make a “hat-trick”, while the Congress, rejuvenated after its five-seat win in the Lok Sabha poll, is looking at a comeback after a decade of sitting in the Opposition.
The key constituencies include Ladwa (Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini), Garhi-Sampla Kiloi (Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Hooda) Ellenabad (INLD’s Abhay Singh Chautala), Ambala Cantt (BJP’s Anil Vij), Badli (OP Dhankar), Narnaund (Capt Abhimanyu), Tosham (Shruti Choudhry), Kalayat (AAP’s Anurag Dhanda).
Uchana Kalan is set to witness a clash between dynasties with Congress leader Brijendra Singh pitted against the JJP’s Dushyant Chautala. While Ateli’s contest is being closely watched since Union minister Rao Indrajit Singh’s daughter Aarti Rao is contesting her first election, Julana, too, holds special interest since Olympic wrestler and Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat is in the fray from this seat.
In Rewari, Congress candidate Chiranjeev Rao is locked in a close contest with the BJP’s Lakshman Yadav, both outgoing MLAs. The Hisar seat, where former BJP minister Kamal Gupta is facing a stiff contest from Independent candidate Savitri Jindal, also promises to be an interesting contest.
Though a direct contest between the national parties is on the cards at most seats, the INLD and its splinter group, the JJP, in a pre-poll alliance with the BSP and the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), the Aam Aadmi Party and Gopal Kanda’s Haryana Lokhit Party are set to make it a triangular contest in their respective pockets of influence. This is also the first election where the INLD and the JJP, with their Jat vote bank, have relied upon the BSP and the ASP, both with Dalit vote bank, to expand their outreach.
Through its campaign, the BJP focused on promoting its vision of a “non-stop Haryana” while underlining the advantages of “a double-engine government” in the state and the Centre and highlighting merit-based recruitment. The party targeted the Congress over “dynastic politics” and “corruption” during its rule in the state. The Congress, on the other hand, focused on the injustice meted out to soldiers (Agniveers), wrestlers and sportspersons, and highlighted the growing unemployment.
