BJP vs Cong in Karnal, a keenly-watched contest

Parveen Arora

An interesting electoral battle is on the cards in the Karnal Lok Sabha constituency comprising nine Assembly segments. This time also the battle is between the BJP and the Congress. The BJP has fielded Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s close aide Sanjay Bhatia, while the Congress has given ticket to Kuldeep Sharma, sitting MLA from Gannaur and a former Haryana Assembly Speaker. However, the candidates of the INLD, AAP-JJP, and the BSP-LSP combine may disturb the electoral prospects of the candidates of the main parties. All candidates are promising to provide jobs to youths, industrial and infrastructure development. 

The BJP has been focusing on national security and nationalism, besides development works and initiatives undertaken by the BJP governments at the Centre and in Haryana. Sanjay Bhatia is claiming that the state government has ensured fairness and transparency in recruitment in government jobs and removed corruption, nepotism and favouritism as was the norm during previous governments. 

On the other hand, Kuldeep Sharma is emphasising on local issues claiming that the BJP has done nothing in the name of development. He has even accused the Chief Minister of neglecting “his constituency” Karnal. Sharma is confident about the return of the Congress to power in the state. In a bid to catch the BJP on the wrong foot, he is asking the party to clear its stand on the performance of sitting MP Ashwini Chopra. He is raising the issues of non-upgrade of the aviation club to a domestic airport and non-shifting of a toll plaza from Bastara to outside the Karnal constituency.

“Earlier, it was being seen as a one-sided contest in Karnal but with the Congress fielding a strong candidate like Kuldeep Sharma, the battle has become interesting. It is now one of the keenly-watched fights in the state as Sharma is gaining support day by day,” says Dr Kushal Pal, head of Political Science Department, Dyal Singh College, Karnal.  

He says that the BJP wants to retain the Karnal seat, while the Congress wants to regain its lost stronghold, as it has represented the constituency the maximum 11 times in 17 elections, including one byelection, since 1952.

The performances of Kuldeep Sharma and Sanjay Bhatia will also reflect the influence that the Chief Minister as well as former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda command in the constituency. The victory of either of the two will be a reflection of the things to come in the upcoming Assembly elections later this year, says Kushal Pal. The INLD, JJP-AAP, and BSP-LSP candidates are also making their presence felt in the seat due to its workers, he adds. Both Congress  and BJP  have also roped in prominent personalities from various sects and castes to woo voters. 

As the prestige of the Chief Minister, who is the MLA from Karnal city, is at stake, he has devoted a considerable amount of time to the constituency comprising nine Assembly seats in Karnal and Panipat districts. The other seven BJP MLAs have been tasked with securing Bhatia’s victory in their constituencies. Karnal Mayor Renu Bala Gupta and Panipat Mayor Avneet Kaur have addressed public meetings.

Sharma has been successful in uniting various factions of the Congress in the constituency. All former MLAs such as Sumita Singh, Rakesh Kamboj, Bhimsen Mehta, Zile Ram Sharma, Balbir Pal Shah, and Dharam Singh Chhoker as well as the aspirants of ticket in the next Assembly elections, including Maratha Virender Verma, have been standing together with him.

Caste a crucial factor

Caste will play an important factor in the Karnal Lok Sabha constituency. Sanjay Bhatia belongs to the Punjabi community, while Kuldeep Sharma is a Brahmin and both have sizeable vote banks. Karnal was considered a Brahmin seat as Chiranji Lal Sharma had been MP from here four times, and ID Swami and Arvind Sharma twice each, but in the last elections BJP candidate Ashwini Chopra, who belongs to Punjabi Arora caste, was elected MP. The Karnal constituency comprises a mix of urban and rural areas. Punjabis (Arora, Khatri and Jat Sikh), Jat, Ror, Brahmin, Aggarwal, Rajput, Scheduled Castes, and Backward Classes have a considerable presence in the constituency and all candidates are trying to woo them.

“Haryana’s politics has always revolved around caste. In Karnal, besides the development issue, caste plays a crucial role. Religion is not a determining factor in elections in Haryana,” says Kushal Pal.

Silent voters hold the key

The number of silent voters in the constituency is also high. They can turn the tables on any candidate and it will be interesting to see whom they favour. This category comprises voters who never reveal their mind; who consider their votes as a valuable asset; those who remain undecided till the night before the polling day and also those who attend the meetings of all parties. They cast their votes to be on the winning side irrespective of the ideologies of the parties because for them votes to a losing candidate are ‘wasted’.

BJP wary of anger among Sikhs

Anger prevails among Sikhs in some villages over the Chief Minister not tendering an apology for cancelling his visit to a gurdwara at Dachar village in Karnal over a portrait of Bhindranwale displayed there. Members of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has already called for the boycott of the BJP over the issue. However, the BJP has tasked its Assandh MLA Bakhshish Singh Virk and other Sikh leaders with pacifying them. Political experts say the anger among the community members can affect the victory prospects of the BJP.

Will ensure equitable development: Sharma

I will ensure overall development of Karnal and Panipat districts without any discrimination. Besides, I will work to generate jobs for youths. I will raise the issue of making Karnal the capital of the state, as it is the best choice for the purpose. Industrial development in both districts will be my priority. —Kuldeep Sharma, Congress candidate

Will develop educational, health infra: Bhatia

I will ensure a better infrastructure of health and education in both Karnal and Panipat districts. The two districts have the potential of becoming an industrial hub and I will make it such, if elected. I will also try my best to generate jobs.Rs Sanjay Bhatia, BJP candidate

Will replicate Delhi development model: Aggarwal

I will replicate the Delhi model of development of schools and hospitals in the Karnal parliamentary constituency, if I win the elections. The overall development of Karnal and Panipat districts, besides making them an industrial hub will be my priority. —Krishan Aggarwal, AAP-JJP alliance candidate

Jobs for youths, farmers’ welfare priority: Padha

If voted to victory, I will ensure jobs for unemployed youths, besides ensuring the welfare of farmers, labourers and downtrodden people. I will try my best for railway connectivity between Karnal and Jind or Karnal and Kaithal districts.— Dharamvir Singh Padha, INLD candidate

Will develop domestic airport: Pankaj

Jobs to unemployed youths, better educational and health infrastructure, and development of industries in both Karnal and Panipat districts are my priorities. I will raise the issue of the development of a domestic airport at the existing aviation club. —Pankaj Chaudhary, BSP-LSP alliance candidate