INDIA VOTES 2024: BJP, Congress in big fight, but ‘also-rans’ threaten to eat into their voteshare

Parveen Arora

Karnal, May 20

As former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar makes a bid for his maiden entry into Parliament, both he and his opponent from the Congress, Divyanshu Budhiraja, are concerned about the potential impact of NCP (Sharad Pawar) candidate Maratha Virender Verma, BSP candidate Inderjeet Jalmana and JJP candidate Devender Kadian on their respective vote banks.

The previous data reveals that the Congress has dominated this seat, winning 11 times out of the 18 elections held since 1952, while the BJP secured victory four times, the Janata Party twice and the Bhartiya Jan Sangh once. The constituency has witnessed victories with both thin margins and the second-highest margins in the country. With the polling date (May 25) fast approaching, the electoral contest for the Karnal parliamentary seat is gaining momentum.

So far, the main contest appears to be between the Khattar and Budhiraja, the presence of Verma, Jalmana, and Kadian is likely to disrupt their traditional voter base.

Political analysts suggest that these candidates can lead to a split in votes that otherwise would have gone to the BJP or the Congress, altering traditional voting patterns.

Maratha Virender Verma, contesting his seventh election with the INLD support, hails from the Ror community, which holds significant sway. The Ror voters are traditionally considered a BJP vote bank, but Verma’s candidacy has garnered support from multiple communities, including his own.

“I am confident of victory as I have the backing of 36 communities. I am a local who understands people’s issues and can raise them promptly in Parliament,” says Verma, who is also highlighting the issue of locals versus outsiders, targeting Khattar and Budhiraja as outsiders.

Devender Kadian, contesting his second election after contesting the Assembly elections from Panipat (Rural), comes from a political family background as his father Satbir Singh Kadian was a speaker of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. He belongs to the Jat community, which holds a significant number in the Karnal Lok Sabha constituency. Inderjeet Jalmana, contesting his first election, belongs to the Sikh community, which also has a considerable presence in the area.

Despite the Congress’ expectations of garnering support from the Jat and Sikh communities due to the resentment over the issues such as the farmers’ agitation, both Kadian and Inderjeet are receiving substantial backing from these communities.

“I am receiving a positive response from the people of the Lok Sabha constituency and am confident of securing a significant victory margin,” stated Kadian, who is focusing on public meetings, roadshows and personal interactions to get support.

The political parties are closely monitoring the evolving situation as the electoral dynamics continue to shift.