CM’s village goes for consensus; stakes high in Hooda’s home turf

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, January 9

When it comes to the panchayat elections, the native villages of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on the outskirts of Rohtak present a study in contrast.

While Khattar’s native village Nidhana Tigri has gone for a consensus for the election of sarpanch, a high voltage drama is unfolding in Sanghi, Hooda’s native village.

Sanghi village, where the polling is slated for January 10, will witness one of the bitterest and costliest election campaigns in the recent history, where a former advertisement professional Satish Hooda is locked in a tough contest with three-time sarpanch Rishipal, a Hooda loyalist.

A visit to the two villages revealed that the election campaign was more ‘visible’ in Hooda’s village, with a large number of posters dotting the road leading to the village and candidates more aggressively campaigning for the D-Day. However, the campaign had been more sober in Khattar’s village even in the run-up to the election of 16 out 18 wards unanimously.

However, more than a week to go for the second phase of polling on January 17, Khattar’s native village has already unanimously elected Saroj Kataria, a postgraduate Dalit, who is arguably one of the most-educated women candidates in the region.

“The unanimous election of Saroj is all the more creditable, as it is for the first time that the sarpanch has been elected unopposed in the village, where the Jats form about two-third of the total about 5,000 electorates,” said Satpala, a Nidhana resident.

Meanwhile, civic amenities, including power, road and water and education, remain the top priority of the candidates. Development, however, continues to elude the villages even after about 50 years of state’s creation.

“I am contesting the elections for a systemic change, as the existing system has failed to redress people’s grievances. People should vote for me, so that the administrative machinery works for their welfare,” asserts Satish Hooda, contesting for sarpanch’s post from Sanghi.

On the other hand, newly elected sarpanch Saroj Kataria said she would work for bringing the benefits of various welfare schemes of the Central and state government to the various sections of society. “I will try to bridge the gap between the administration and the people,” she added.