Health Minister Gupta up against 3 party rebels, Congress in Hisar
Eyeing a hat-trick of victories, state Health Minister Kamal Gupta’s campaign has run into rough weather ever since the BJP announced his ticket from the Hisar Assembly constituency.
Bania factor
A candidate belonging to the Bania community has won 14 out of 17 elections from the Hisar Assembly segment from 1951 to 2019. This caste calculation is the reason behind the confidence of Gupta for a hat-trick of wins. A candidate belonging to the Punjabi community had won in 1982 and 1995, and backward community nominee Hari Singh Saini won in 1987.
Three BJP rebels — former minister Savitri Jindal, who is chairperson of Jindal Industries, former Mayor Gautam Sardana and district vice-president Tarun Jain — filed nomination papers as Independents today. The Congress has fielded Ram Niwas Rara, belonging to the OBC.
Gupta’s bid to placate them remained unsuccessful even though he met Savitri Jindal recently. The rebels allege non-performance by Gupta has resulted in anti-incumbency against him. Gupta had defeated Savitri Jindal (then a Congress candidate) in 2014. Jindal abstained from the electoral politics in 2019 and Gupta again managed to retain the seat.
Savitri Jindal’s son Naveen Jindal is the BJP MP from Kurukshetra and she had also campaigned for him and shared the stage with BJP leaders in Hisar as well. She was aspiring for the BJP ticket this time. But when denied nomination, she immediately announced that she would join the electoral fray. “Whether as an Independent or from any party, I will definitely contest the elections,” she said.
There have been several issues related to civic infrastructure in Hisar. These include no city bus service even though several bus stops have been constructed in the town, along with the problems of damaged roads, poor drainage, choked sewer lines, stray cattle and stray dog menace and traffic congestion. Besides, the work on Hisar airport is also incomplete.
Gupta said he would keep working for Hisar’s development and that the undergoing projects would also be completed soon.
