Major parties confident of making poll history

AMITABH SHUKLA / HISAR

The strict directions of the Election Commission might have robbed the dusty city of the carnival-like atmosphere that precede elections but the campaign of the three contending parties has convinced the people that they will make history, whichever way they vote.

If the people of the constituency go with Anna Hazare's call to vote against the Congress, they have HJC-BJP candidate Kuldeep Bishnoi and INLD's Ajay Chautala to choose from. "I just want you to vote for the candidate who is clean and honest. I do not want to say anything else...You know Ajay Chautala was summoned by a CBI court in Delhi recently in a case of disproportionate assets. You also know, in how many cases Jai Prakash (Congress candidate) is facing," Bishnoi reminds voters in his election campaign in the constituency.

He insists that only the honest would survive this test.Terming it as a historic election, Bishnoi, son of former CM Bhajan Lal, says that this election would determine who forms the next Government in Haryana and the Centre.Congress candidate Jai Praksh is not that popular in the constituency but Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda definitely is. Hooda has made the election a prestige issue and is camping in Hisar and has so far visited almost every segment of the vast constituency. His cabinet colleagues are in toe for what is being seen as the first major political test for the Congress post Anna's fast at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.

The CM is citing the achievements of his almost seven year old Government in the State claiming how different sections of society have benefited, a claim ridiculed by the HJC-BJP and also the INLD.As corruption is indeed a poll issue, Hooda said that he would leave politics if any instance of misdeed or corruption could be provided against him. "On the contrary, Opposition leaders have been charge sheeted and charges have been framed against them in different cases. Number of cases are pending against them in various courts of the country", he charged.

Ironically, it is the INLD candidate Ajay Chautala who is hard pressed for plausible issues in the elections. Chautala is reminding the voters what the Government did when it was in power seven years ago, something which the young voters do not even remember. INLD is also criticising Hooda for its alleged acts of omission and commission terming it anti-farmer.

INLD might not have issues to boast of, nevertheless, it is hoping for a lion's share of the 4.5 lakh strong Jat community votes, which forms the single largest chunk here. Party leaders claim that if they manage to get the community's votes, they would sail through.If the traditional methods of mobilisation are used and the caste card works out, the 2.4 lakh Dalit votes would play a crucial role as Congress has lost is clout in this section of people following the Mirchipur incident in which two Dalits lost their lives at the hands of the dominant Jat community. Mirchipur falls in this constituency and the message has not been lost. As BSP is not contesting here, the votes could go to Bishnoi, given the fact that HJC is not considered a Jat dominated party.Also the non-Dalit and non-Jat votes that form almost 40 per cent of the constituency's strength would be crucial. It is here that the contesting parties are using the local satraps and caste leaders to influence public opinion and get votes. (October 10, 2011)

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