10 yrs on, Selja back in Lok Sabha
Anil Kakkar
Sirsa, June 4
Congress candidate Kumari Selja emerged victorious from the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat by defeating BJP’s Ashok Tanwar by a significant margin of 2,68,497 votes.
In JJP candidate Devender Babli’s constituency Tohana, Selja secured a convincing victory, defeating Tanwar by 48,411 votes. In HLP leader Gopal Kanda’s constituency Sirsa, the victory margin was the smallest, with Selja winning by 13,350 votes.
The victory marks Kumari Selja’s third term as Member of Parliament from Sirsa, while Tanwar has faced his third consecutive defeat.
He previously lost to BJP’s Sunita Duggal in 2019 and INLD’s Charanjit Singh Rori in 2014.
Notably, there were a total of 19 candidates contesting from the Sirsa seat. Kumari Selja received the highest number of votes, totaling 7,33,823, while Ashok Tanwar received 4,65,326 votes.
INLD’s Sandeep Lot secured the third place with 92,453 votes. Kumari Selja was leading from the first round of counting today; she continued to widen her lead. Ashok Tanwar left the counting centre midway and did not speak to the media.
After her victory, Selja expressed her gratitude to the voters, saying that she would always be indebted to them. She stated that her priority would be to improve infrastructure, education, healthcare and basic facilities in the region. Meanwhile JJP’s Ramesh Khattak received 20,080 votes, and BSP’s Leelu Ram Asakhera got 10,151 votes.
How daughter of the soil won
Despite extensive campaigning by BJP figures like Nayab Singh Saini and UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Selja won by a substantial margin. Several factors contributed to her win:-
Farmers’ opposition: Farmers’ discontent with BJP policies led to protests against Tanwar, benefiting Selja.
Selja’s connect with Sirsa: Her deep-rooted ties and continuous engagement with the constituency, despite relocating to Ambala, resonated with voters.
Tanwar’s party-hopping: Tanwar’s frequent switches to parties led to voters’ mistrust.
Congress unity: Selja united factions, garnering support from prominent leaders.
Priyanka’s influence: Priyanka Gandhi’s strategic campaign, especially her silent roadshow, bolstered Selja’s candidacy.
Focus on economic issues: Her emphasis on economic relief, job guarantees resonated more with voters than BJP’s Ram Temple.
Ticket denial to Sunita Duggal: Replacing sitting MP Sunita Duggal with Tanwar as nominee created dissatisfaction within the BJP, weakening his campaign further.
