The BJP is keen to secure a win in Haryana to stem its waning influence in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha poll results. For the Congress, though plagued by severe infighting, this is a golden opportunity to regain power it lost to the saffron party a decade ago. A report by Aayush Goel
With less than a week left for Haryana polls, the election scenario in the state is brimming with high-stakes and most anticipated contest between the ruling BJP and Congress. While the two mega parties are fighting to establish supremacy, it is an existential crisis for other regional parties and independent candidates. It’s a war of relevance for most senior candidates and a golden debut chance for younger ones. Legacies are fighting to stay alive whereas voter sections like farmers, Meo-Muslims, and Ahirs are fighting to make it to the priority list.
The election victory will be crucial for the BJP to regain its waning influence amidst the anti-incumbency wave in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha poll results. For the Congress, plagued by severe infighting, it is the opportunity to regain the power lost 10 years ago and pave an easy way for the next generation of leaders like Deepender Hooda, Rao Chiranjiv, and Aditya Surjewala. Both parties won five seats each in the Haryana Lok Sabha, further adding to the anticipation of the Assembly poll outcome on October 8. Those who have decided to go Independent after being denied tickets by parties are in a do-or-die situation. Aam Aadmi Party’s plan to run solo on all 90 seats is facing a litmus test. So, with unprecedented anticipation in the air here’s a look at most high-stake constituencies.
Garhi Sampla-Kiloi
Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, Congress’s power hub in Haryana, is the bastion of former Congress Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the tallest Jat leader and most influential Congressman. The Jat community makes up 25 percent of the Haryana population and is central to the Deswali-belt that comprises Rohtak, Jhajjar, and Sonipat districts. Congress is heavily banking on its conventional voter base and considers this election as Jat versus non-Jat. Being the tallest leader, Hooda needs to get a record-winning margin from here. Hooda, the two-time former CM of Haryana has a political career spanning five decades. He has never once lost an election. In the hope of countering him, the BJP has fielded Manju Hooda – wife of gangster Rajesh Hooda. Manju is expected to gather votes from Jats upset with the Hooda clan.
Tosham
Here cousins are fighting it out to claim the legacy of state’s another tall leader and former Haryana Chief Minister late Bansi Lal. Congress has nominated cricket administrator-turned-politician Anirudh Chaudhary against Shruti Choudhry, who is contesting on BJP ticket after defecting from Congress recently. Both candidates are cousins and grandchildren of the late former Haryana CM Bansi Lal.
Ateli
Ateli is part of the Ahirwal belt of South Haryana and the launch pad of Arti Rao, daughter of the tallest Ahir leader and six-time MP and MoS, Rao Inderjit Singh. Singh who shifted from Congress to BJP in 2014. Rao Inderjit Singh has been reigning supreme in the area for decades but it is only after the Lok Sabha elections that the BJP has finally started recognizing his might. Arti has been fielded by the party after being denied a ticket twice in 2014 and 2019. It’s not just a war of supremacy for her but also political relevance of the Rao clan as Arti is the third generation who is taking the baton from her father. She is not just battling strong candidates from Congress and other parties but grappling with the rebellion in the local BJP units, where a disgruntled cadre is up in arms against the ‘imported’ leader Rao Inderjit Singh.
Ambala Cantt
Ambala Cantt is one of the key constituencies in Haryana, from where 71-year-old BJP leader Anil Vij has been a six-time MLA. A former Home Minister, who enjoyed immense power in former CM Manohar Lal Khattar-led government, was completely ignored by the party in incumbent Nayab Singh Saini’s cabinet. He recently created jitters in party ranks by staking a claim to the post of CM citing himself as the senior most MLA. In addition to battling anti-incumbency and party infighting, he is crossing swords with Parvinder Singh Pari of Congress and strong Independent candidate Chitra Sarwara.
Ladwa
A non-descript segment in Kurukshetra hardly talked about in years, Ladwa is the centre of attention now as Haryana’s three-month-old CM Nayab Saini has been fielded from here after winning the by-poll contest from Karnal, the stronghold of Khattar. Though he was not up for the seat, the BJP chose to grant its CM the seat they considered safest. In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won 47.14 percent of the vote in the Ladwa Assembly segment of the Kurukshetra constituency. Here, the Congress has fielded Mewa Singh, the incumbent MLA who won the 2019 polls by a narrow margin of 12,637 votes.
Hodal
Here, Haryana Congress President Udai Bhan is facing a litmus test. Udai Bhan is fighting against BJP’s Harinder Singh Ramrattan. Last time, the BJP had won this seat with a thin margin of only about 3,300 votes. The outcome of this seat is crucial for the Congress.
Hisar
All eyes are on Hisar seat, where India’s richest woman, Savitri Jindal, is contesting independently. While Hisar is conventionally crucial to Haryana’s political scene, it is more prominent now as India’s richest woman Savitri Jindal is in the fray as an Independent candidate. Savitri chose to go solo after the BJP did not give the ticket to her but re-nominated its sitting MLA and state Health Minister Kamal Gupta. Notably, Jindal quit the Congress in March and switched over to the BJP shortly after her son industrialist Naveen Jindal joined the party. He is a BJP MP from Kurukshetra. The Congress has named Ram Niwas Rara from this seat.
Kaithal
Rajya Sabha MP from Congress Randeep Surjewala, the leader of anti-Hooda faction is sweating it out to stay relevant to Haryana politics and make his son win. Aditya is debuting this year from Kaithal, the seat represented by his father twice in the past. Randeep lost the seat in 2019 and has slowly been nudged out of the party’s prominence by the Hooda camp.
Julana
One of the most high-profile constituencies this time, Julana marks the beginning of Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s political career. Phogat who has been the face of wrestlers’ protests and poster girl of the anti-BJP movement, especially after her Paris Olympic medal controversy, is battling it out against the BJP’s Capt Yogesh Bairagi and AAP’s Kavita Devi, also a wrestler. Phogat, who recently joined the Congress, is expected to solidify the party’s influence among farmers, youth and women.
Uchana
JJP leader Dushyant Chautala, striving to retain his kingmaker role in the next government, is facing the toughest battle of his political career. Once a part of the BJP-led state government and former deputy CM Chautala has been struggling with the collapse of his ‘kingmaker’ party JJP and dealing with defectors. He will contest the Uchana seat in Jind to defend it against BJP’s Devender Attri and Congress’ Brijendra Singh. Singh, a former IAS and a BJP turncoat, joined Congress in March this year. Chautala had defeated his mother Prem Lata in 2019. Brijender is the son of Birender Singh, who is a former Union Minister who joined the BJP in 2014, and then made a U-turn to re-join the Congress again this year.
Ellenabad
The once-powerful Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is struggling for survival in Haryana. The INLD general secretary, Abhay Singh Chautala will contest the polls to retain his Ellenabad seat in Sirsa. Like JJP, INLD has also lost its influence in the Haryana political landscape. The party has been out of power in Haryana for 20 years and got a meager 1.74 percent vote share in the Lok Sabha polls. Chautala has represented the seat since 2010. Previously, it was held by his father, OP Chautala.
