After results, Haryana regional parties hope to stay relevant

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh, June 3

The BJP and the Congress are banking on tomorrow’s election results for the 10 Lok Sabha seats to decide the next state government in Haryana, making it a battle of prestige.

With the Assembly elections due in the state in October this year, the regional parties — the JJP and the INLD — too, are hoping to stay relevant in the present political scenario by netting “substantial” votes and playing spoiler, while the Aam Aadmi Party is hoping to make its presence felt in Kurukshetra.

Though the BJP is unlikely to give a repeat performance of 2019 when it won all 10 seats, the party is looking to defeat 10 years of anti-incumbency and come out on the top and retain its superiority over opposition parties.

The Karnal parliamentary constituency, where former Chief Minister and BJP candidate Manohar Lal Khattar is contesting against Congress candidate Divyanshu Budhiraja, is among the “most keenly watched” poll battles. Sources say a win in this election would not only catapult Khattar to the Centre but also give him a “bigger” role in the party.

The Karnal Assembly segment, too, is equally significant for the BJP since Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is contesting to be elected to the Haryana Vidhan Sabha after he replaced Khattar as the CM. He will have to get a “convincing” win to establish himself in the state.

For the Congress, the Rohtak and Sirsa seats, being contested by Deepender Hooda, son of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and Kumari Selja, the party’s Dalit face, respectively are crucial.

For the Hoodas, not only is the Rohtak seat important to stay in command but the results of Haryana will be critical in deciding who will lead the party into the Assembly elections since a majority of the tickets have been given on their recommendation. A win for Selja would mean the detractor camp within the Congress will emerge stronger and have a say in the ticket distribution.

With INDIA bloc supported AAP candidate, Sushil Gupta, contesting from Kurukshetra against BJP candidate and industrialist Naveen Jindal, the party has made it a keen battle. The AAP which is also aiming for the Assembly elections wants a foothold in Haryana.

INLD and JJP candidates are likely to play spoiler for the Congress and AAP since they share their vote banks. Whether they can really get the votes required to swing the election in at least four seats will decide the role they play in the Assembly polls.

Since the Lok Sabha polls were essentially a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress, the outcome will have a direct bearing on the morale of their leaders and cadres as they gear up to contest the Assembly polls soon after this.

Assembly poll in sight

• A strong performance by the either party will give it an edge over the other in the run up to Assembly elections due in October
• While the BJP is looking to defeat 10 years of anti-incumbency, the Congress is eyeing a strong foothold before the Assembly poll
• Karnal, Rohtak and Sirsa seats are keenly watched with Manohar Lal Khattar, Deepender Hooda and Kumari Selja in the fray from respective constituencies