Karnal segment set for a close contest

The Karnal Assembly seat, which held the distinction of being the Chief Minister’s constituency for a decade, is set for a close contest between the BJP and the Congress in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections on October 5.

The BJP has fielded Jagmohan Anand, a political newcomer to electoral contests but with extensive experience in managing election campaigns. Anand has served as the district president of Karnal, media coordinator to the former CM and played a key role in various Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha campaigns, including acting as in-charge of the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha election in 2014.

The Congress has nominated its two-time MLA Sumita Singh also known as Sumita Virk, who has years of political experience. Sunita was first elected in 2005 and re-elected in 2009 from Karnal but lost in 2014 when she contested for the Assandh seat. She did not contest in 2019.

The stakes are high for both parties, particularly with the prestige of former CM Manohar Lal Khattar and current CM Nayab Singh Saini at stake in this high-profile constituency. Khattar represented this seat from October 2014 until March 2024, and Saini won the seat on June 4 this year. The INLD-BSP alliance has fielded Surjeet Singh from Karnal.

Both BJP and Congress candidates have expressed confidence in their victory and pledged to focus on the city’s development. They have been banking on extensive campaigning, including door to door and nukar meetings.

“No doubt this is my first electoral battle, but I have extensive experience in election management. Our government has focused on inclusive development under the mission ‘Haryana Ek, Haryanvi Ek’ and ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.’ Not only we will win the Karnal seat, but the BJP will also win the majority of seats in the state, forming the government for a third consecutive term,” said Anand.

Anand further highlighted that Karnal was included in the Smart City Mission, stating, “Nearly Rs 1,000 crore has been spent on over 170 projects. Several have been completed and the rest will be completed soon.”

However, Congress candidate Sumita Singh criticised the BJP government for neglecting Karnal, despite its status as the CM city for 10 years. “Karnal should have seen much more development. Neither did the people of Karnal get a dedicated CM nor an accessible MLA. They had to struggle to get their work done,” said Singh.

She also attacked the BJP over issues related to property and family IDs, accusing the government of burdening the people with unnecessary complications. “We will abolish the portal system,” she promised.

Political experts believe the Karnal seat is set for a direct contest between the BJP and Congress, as has been the case in past elections. “It will be a close contest between the two parties in Karnal, with the caste factor will play a crucial role,” said Dr Balraj Sharma, head of the Political Science Department at DAV College, Karnal.