Faridabad, May 3
The Congress, which is fighting hard to retain the Faridabad parliamentary seat, is making herculean efforts to convince the voters of the development works done by the UPA at the Centre and Bhupinder Singh Hooda government in the state. The party has renominated Avtar Singh Bhadana. The Congress camp, led by no less than Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, is trying to impress upon the public that the present government has taken several measures like construction of Badarpur flyover and setting up of Industrial Model Township to modernise Faridabad. The party leaders are also trying to tug the emotional chord by invoking the name of the first premier of the country Jawaharlal Nehru and reminding the people that it was he who set up Faridabad city.

The BJP and its candidate Ram Chander Bainda, who is determiend to spoil Congress party, is focusing on ‘strength’ of their prime ministerial candidate LK Advani. Also, he’s trying to corner the Congress by comparing the achievements of the previous Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA regime at the Centre to that of the UPA headed by Dr Manmohan Singh.

The Haryana Janhit Congress, which is apparently causing bother to the Congress by making efforts to galvanise its tradional vote bank in their favour, however, is trying to carve a niche for themselves by promising dedicated services to the voters if they were returned to Parliament.

Surprisingly, other than the BSP, which has fielded the former star of the Indian cricket team Chetan Sharma, the nominees of other parties appear to be sidetracking the issues germane to the youth. Sharma is trying to gravitate towards the youths by trying to empathise with them. He harps on his own “rags-to-riches” story and prsenting himself as a role model for the youth.

Sirsa, May 3
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s chosen candidate Ashok Tanwar has evoked the interest of political observers in Sirsa (reserve) parliamentary constituency.

Tanwar, president of the Indian Youth Congress, is among over a half-a-dozen youths of Rahul brigade, who have been given tickets by the Congress.

Tanwar is faced with a tough task of taking on the INLD on its home turf - Sirsa being the home district of INLD supremo Om Parkash Chautala.However, Rahul’s Sirsa rally on May 1 bolstered Tanwar’s campaign. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has already conducted a few road shows and rallies in his support.

The INLD candidate Sita Ram, a two-time MLA from Dabwali, hails from the former CM’s village Chautala and from the very beginning the INLD has been labelling Tanwar as an outsider.

Sita Ram’s campaign is being organised by former MLA from Rori Abhey Singh. Chautala has also campaigned for him extensively. If Sita Ram depends on Chautalas for his victory, Tanwar too has the support of Ranjit Singh, younger brother of Om Parkash Chautala, who also enjoys considerable following in the Sirsa district.

The father-son duo of Partap Singh Chautala and Ravi Chautala, and KV Singh, all members of the Chautala clan, are also working for the Congress candidate.

The two-day visit of Kulddep Bishnoi, the Haryana Janhit Congress chief, has given a major impetus to party candidate Rajinder Dhanak.

Kuldeep Bishnoi got fairly good response in the villages dominated by the Bishnoi community in Fatehabad sending scares in the Tanwar camp, which is banking on Bishnoi’s cousin Dura Ram in these villages.

Besides getting support in Bishnoi belt, the HJC nominee is also getting good support from Dhanak community. Another candidate Rajesh Vaid of the BSP, who has been working hard among Dalit voters.

Vaid himself belongs to Balmiki community and is likely to get good support from his people.

The CPM candidate Ram Kumar Bahbalpuria is also in the fray along with 10 others, including seven independents.

Ferozepur, May 3
Its “Jag da meet” Jagmeet Singh Brar against a “lion” in Sher Singh Ghubaiya in Ferozepur, but the results may have nothing to do with the qualities spelt out in their names. It’s cold caste calculations as well as hope for a better future for this constituency, which will determine the fate of the Congress and the SAD candidate in a three-cornered contest. Gurdev Singh Mansaiya of the BSP is also in the fray.

While caste calculations favour SAD candidate Ghubaiya slightly, Congressman Brar promises to bring back the constituency to the centre stage of Punjab polity. The constituency, which has been won twice by the BSP earlier and has been represented thrice in a row by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s former colleague and “gunman” Zora Singh Mann, was last represented by Balram Jakhar in 1985.

If one goes by caste calculations, the SAD is relying on the combination of Jat Sikhs (3.30 lakh) and Rai Sikhs (2 lakh), which worked successfully twice when the BSP had an understanding with the SAD.

However, straitjacketed calculations may not work with Brar himself being a “Jat” Sikh and also hoping to sweep the Hindu (2.25 lakh) votes besides a fair share of Kamboj Sikh and Harijan votes. The “forward caste” candidature of Mansaiya of the BSP is not likely to have a significant impact on voting patterns and could work to the advantage of the Congress.

Besides vote calculations, both candidates and parties are selling dreams, more so Brar, who lost the last election from this constituency by a narrow margin of 12,000 votes. Brar is promising that he will use his influence at the Centre to remove the “backward” tag attached to the constituency even as his supporters claim that they are electing not an MP but a prospective union minister.

Ghubaiya, who cannot make a similar claim, has enlisted the services of SAD president Sukhbir Badal, who has been made in charge of this seat. Led by Sukhbir, the Akalis have launched a campaign to discredit Brar by calling him “Jagmeet Gappi”, alleging he has never fulfilled promises made to the people. The election is more a battle for survival of Brar than Ghubaiya. Having lost twice in a row from Faridkot and Ferozepur, the Congress candidate desperately needs a win to survive in party politics. For the SAD , it is important to ensure that he does not gain a new lease of life after shifting from Faridkot.

Sonepat, May 3
It’s an election sans any real issues in Sonepat. So, to garner electoral support, candidates in the fray are resorting to different tactics. While the political image of CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Mayawati is the trump card for the Congress candidate Jitender Malik and BSP nominee Dev Raj Dewan, respectively, the BJP nominee Kishan Singh Sangwan is banking on his party’s election manifesto and its promises. The HJC candidate Umesh Sharma, on his part, is busy in Congress-bashing to strike a cord with the electorate.

Malik is seeking votes in Hooda’s name in this Jat-dominated constituency. “By voting for me, you would be voting for Hooda sab,” is the punch line of his election speeches. He also never forgets to play the development card and highlight the works carried out by the Congress government in the state.

Giving a regional touch to his campaign, he mentions opening of universities at Murthal and Khanpur Kalan and setting up of Rajiv Gandhi Education City near Rai. He also goes all out to convince people that the CM had a personal attachment with this area.

In th same manner, the BSP candidate Dev Raj Dewan prefers to capitalise on the ‘dynamic leadership’ of his party head Mayawati. He also makes it a point to target the common man by mentioning ever increasing prices of essential commodities.

Three-time MP and BJP nominee Kishan Singh Sangwan is taking credit for sanctioning of the railway project connecting Sonepat with Gohana and Jind and spending huge amount of money from his development funds in every village of the constituency. He also appears to be alluring the voters by claiming that if NDA was voted to power, he could occupy a seat of authority in the Union government that could result in more development of the constituency.

HJC nominee is accusing the Hooda government of playing caste politics and undermining the overall development of the state by concentrating only on certain areas.

It’s the deafening silence of the “Muslim voters” in the western UP that is troubling the parties and pundits alike. After almost two decades of loyalty to Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi party, the Muslims, who hold the key to 15 to 18 seats, have multiple choices this time.

Though some are predicting a definite ‘vote swing’ most likely in favour of the BSP and even the Congress, most of the analysts believe that the SP may just manage to hold on to a major part of its support base. Reason: The Muslims, say observers, would like to “stop LK Advani from becoming the Prime Minister.” So the Maulana Mulayam --- a sobriquet SP chief earned for his pro-Muslim overtures --- is likely to retain his crown.Dr Mohd Sajjad, who teaches history at the Aligarh Muslism University and keeps a watch on UP and Bihar polls, says there’s confusion in the mind of a Muslim voter. In such a scenario, it is unlikely that the community will vote enbloc for a particular party. Mulayam may not be losing all that much, he opines,while agreeing that the BSP looks attractive in many parts of UP.

“The voting will be for the candidate whom the community perceives to be the best for them in a particular constituency. The nominee could be from any party, the SP, the BSP or the Congress,” adds Sajjad. The BSP is playing its cards well. Mayawati has welcomed all rebels of SP and even the Lok Dal, especially if they happened to be Muslims, with open arms. Kaptan Singh Kuswaha, who manages the BSP work in Agra explains: “Behanji is giving representation to all communities hence the Muslims are coming to her fold.”

SP’s “wordsmith” Amar Singh, has in the past few days tried to create a fear among Muslims saying the BSP and the BJP will have an alliance. “ Haathi ki soond mein kamal khil raha hai” (A lotus is blooming in the trunk of the elephant),” he said in Agra on April 29.

Ever since elections in the state got polarised in the wake of the Ram Mandir movement in Ayodhya, the significance of Muslim voters in tilting the scales has increased manifold. Mulayam Singh, who formed the SP in October 1992 was an automatic choice in the post-Babri Masjid scenario.

The Congress was a divided house while the focus of the BSP was at gaining votes by bashing the upper caste Hindus. In 2004, the SP had 15 MPs from the “Muslim belt” of western UP. About 23 per cent of Indian Muslim live in UP and a large chunk of them is concentrated in the western part.

“The friendship between Kalyan Singh and Mulayam has angered a section of Muslims. It will have an impact but will not mean a wipe out for the SP,” feels Sajjad.

Fatehpur Sikri, May 3
Despite it having been the capital of the Mughal empire, Fatehpur Sikri is today a "dusty" outback of the more celebrated city of Agra, just 35 km away. The complex caste equations and sharp polarisation of communities have become more stark. Cine star Raj Babbar, who is contesting from here is seen as among the “frontrunners” despite the caste arithmetic not exactly being in his favour.

Raj Babbar, a sitting MP, shifted out of Agra following delimitation and his “good” position is due to a mix of factors. One, he has parted ways with the Samajwadi Party and will not face the perceived “Muslism backlash” in view of the SP’s support to Kalyan Singh, who was the Chief Minister of UP when the Babri Masjid was pulled down in 1992. Secondly, the strong lobby of Jats, the landed peasantry with some 2.25 lakh votes, is backing him openly. Their aim is to defeat the BSP.

Babbar is trying hard and his USP is his clean image. In the searing heat touching more than 45 degrees Celsius, he is the common man here. Being a Punjabi settled in Agra, he knows the reality of castes and makes it clear “had I tried to divide communities, I would not have even been elected to the municipal corporation of Agra..” The main challenge for this former student of Panjab University, Chandigarh, is the caste factor. The BSP candidate, Seema Upadhayaya, is the wife of UP power minister Ramveer Upadhayaya and enjoys the support of sizable Brahmin population.

The BJP is banking upon Aridaman Singh. A blue-blood royalty and known as the ‘maharaja’ of Bhadawar. He has had five terms in the UP assembly and has been a minister. Largely, the opinion is that the 1 lakh-odd Muslism votes will hold the key. These could be split between the Congress, the BSP and some going to the SP.

Bhilwara/Chittorgarh, May 3
Two Congress heavyweights - National Commission for Women chairperson Girija Vyas and PCC chief CP Joshi - are testing their luck in the land of Rajputs, fighting the “outsider” tag in Mewar region's Chittorgarh and Bhilwara constituencies respectively.

State Congress chief Joshi had lost the assembly elections by a single vote from Nathdwara seat last year. In a do-or-die situation, he has now been pitted against two-time BJP MP VP Singh in the textile city of Bhilwara.

The constituency hasn’t been any party’s stronghold in the past and it has also sent Janata Dal and Lok Dal candidates to Parliament.

The PCC chief is facing a stiff challenge from his rival who has also been a four-time MLA, a state minister and the BJP’s state vice-president for the last 15 years. A Rajput from Bhilwara, Singh is raking up the “outsider” issue against Joshi to the hilt. “If you want someone to look after your house, whom would you hand it over to? An outsider or someone who is from your own house?” he asks the electorate in his rallies, while taking a dig at Joshi.

He is also highlighting his achievements like setting up of a broad gauge line in Bhilwara and inclusion of the constituency in the Golden Quadrilateral project. Singh enjoys a clean image and being a local, he is also well connected with the voters.

On the other hand, Joshi, a Brahmin, has the advantage that the constituency has 17 per cent Brahmin votes, three per cent more than Rajputs besides 10 per cent SC/ST votes.

However, the significant presence of Gujjars is giving sleepless nights to the Congress here.

On the outsider issue, Joshi says, “I don’t want to discuss the issue, but I should make it clear that my forefathers are from Bhilwara and besides my parental property I have land registered in my name in government records.”

The Congress and the BJP are evenly poised in the seat as far as assembly seats are concerned, as both the parties bagged four each from the constituency. Drinking water crisis, rising pollution and development of infrastructure are the key issues here.

In neighbouring Chittorgarh, another Congress stalwart and former state Congress chief Girija Vyas is contesting against two-time BJP MP Srichand Kriplani. The Congress seems to have an edge here as the party had won seven out of the eight assembly segments of the constituency in the elections last year.

Vyas will also have the advantage of the fact that the Brahmins have become the dominant caste in her constituency post-delimitation. Besides, the Muslims and the Gujjars are also rallying against the BJP this time.

However, like Joshi, she, too, is being dubbed as an “outsider” by her opponents. “Vyas has remained an MP from Udaipur thrice. She doesn’t belong here while Kriplani is a local,” say the BJP leaders.

Vyas opted for Chittorgarh as Udaipur got reserved for the ST category in delimitation. She, too, rejects the BJP propaganda, stating that though in Udaipur, her house is just a km from the boundary of the Chittorgarh seat. "How can they call me an outsider in such a scenario?" she wonders.

Jaipur, May 3
Union Minister and Jat heavyweight Sis Ram Ola is facing a tough challenge for the first time in his pocket borough of Jhunjhunu, the constituency which has never sent a BJP candidate to Parliament. Interestingly, 81-year-old Ola has declared that this will be his last general election.

Riding high on his strong 3-lakh Jat votebank, Ola has won the seat for four straight terms since 1996. In fact, he has gained such a stature that it has been an “Ola v/s who?” affair in the constituency for the last four general elections.

The electoral contest has been so much personality based here that Ola has even won the seat as a Congress rebel on the ticket of lesser-known parties like the All-India Indira Congress (Tiwari) in 1996 and the All-India Indira Congress (Secular) in 1998. However, this time internal bickering in the Congress, the BJP’s choice of candidate and the BSP’s minority card has made the battle of the ballot exciting in Jhunjhunu.

With the BSP fielding Mushtaq Khatri, the octogenarian Congress leader is toiling hard to retain the support of 2 lakh minority voters. The BJP’s choice of candidate has also given him an opportunity to woo the minority voters. The BJP has fielded Dashrath Singh Shekhawat, an RSS functionary, from the seat. “I would not let Jhunjhunu turn into Gujarat. I have not allowed the RSS to sow its seed here for the past 50 years and will not let them do now either,” Ola tells the minority electorate at his public meetings. However, political observers feel that the minority voters are seeing an option in the form of Khatri, which doesn't augur well for Ola.

Though the Congress won five out of the eight Assembly seats from Jhunjhunu last year, infighting may affect the party’s poll prospects. Nawalgarh MLA Raj Kumar Sharma, who left the BSP to join the Congress, is considered to be against Ola.

Also Ola’s differences with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot may cost him dear as the Mali community, to which Gehlot belongs, constitutes 1.4 lakh voters in Jhunjhunu. Ola had opposed Gehlot and projected himself as the CM candidate post-Assembly poll in the state last year. Since then the Mali community sees him as a rival of Gehlot.

Interestingly, the Nawalgarh MLA is known for his proximity to Gehlot, which may further fill Ola’s cup of woe. Ola will also have to fight anti-incumbency in the area that has long been demanding its share of canal water which is being illegally used by Haryana.

Few Congress leaders who are visiting Dalit bastis should understand that the problems of Dalits will not be solved by eating from their hands, sleeping in their houses or carrying their children on their shoulders

— BSP supremo Mayawati while addressing a rally in Delhi

We have capable leaders to head government.

— CPI general secretary AB Bardan in an interview