Ahead of polls, parties focus on GT Road belt

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 3

In view of next year’s parliamentary and Assembly elections, political parties are eyeing the GT Road belt, which overwhelmingly voted for the BJP in the 2014 Assembly elections.

Close on the heels of Sunday’s rallies by rebel BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini in Panipat and AICC communications incharge Randeep Surjewala in Kurukshetra, three rallies were planned for September 9 alone in Kurukshetra district.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda would kick off the next phase of his ‘rath yatra’ from Pehowa. Congress Legislature Party leader Kiran Choudhry would organise a rally in Thanesar. Leader of Opposition and INLD leader Abhay Chautala would hit the streets in Babain.

The Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, recently addressed rallies in Shahabad and Gharaunda, organised by the party in the wake of increase in the minimum support price of crops by the Centre.

Another rally was slated to be held in Naraingarh, Ambala district, on September 9. The BJP would hold a rally for workers in Karnal on September 17.

Various parties, especially in the opposition, were targeting the GT Road belt, comprising Panchkula, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Panipat districts, apparently because the BJP performed exceedingly well in these areas in the 2014 Assembly elections.

The BJP, which emerged triumphant on 47 seats, had won 22 of the 25 seats in the GT Road belt. The BJP had won all three parliamentary seats — Ambala, Kurukshetra and Karnal — situated along the GT Road.

A senior Congress leader said the BJP’s win in the GT Road belt was instrumental in government formation.

It was not surprising that all parties were making a beeline for districts along the GT Road to get a foothold in the run-up to parliamentary and Assembly elections.