At 30, Sonepat LS seat aspirants hit a high in 2019; 5 in 1977 is all-time low

Tribune News Service

Mukesh Tandon

Sonepat, May 5

Separated from Old Rohtak in 1977, the Sonepat Lok Sabha seat is ready to witness the 14th general elections, including a bypoll and as many as 17.31 lakh voters to vote on May 25. However, only the BJP has announced its candidate, Mohan Lal Badoli, from here so far.

In the last 13 Lok Sabha elections, Sonepat has witnessed the highest number of candidates (30), including NOTA in 2019 elections. Only five persons contested the first election for the Lok Sabha in 1977, which is the lowest number of candidates in its 42 years’ history.

voter turnout

• The maximum voter turnout has been recorded in 1977, which was 72.72 per cent, while the lowest turnout has been recorded in 1999, which was 62.39 per cent

The maximum voter turnout was recorded in 1977, which was 72.72 per cent, while the lowest turnout was recorded in 1999, which was 62.39 per cent.

The Sonepat seat, a part of the Deswali belt, is considered to be a Jat-dominated seat. The main contest on this seat is almost between the Congress and the BJP. The BJP has won the seat four times — 1999, 2004, 2014 and 2019 — while the Congress has also won here four times — in 2009, 1991, 1984 and in 1983 (byelection).

As per political analysts, Sonepat witnessed a direct contest between two top contenders only and this seat never witnessed triangular contest. Either five candidates were in the fray or 29, but the contest was always among the two main contenders here, the political analyst said.

According to data, in 1980, the voter turnout was recorded at 67.06 per cent and 11 candidates were in the election fray. Voter turnout was 65.08 per cent in 1984, while 17 were in the fray; in 1989, voter turnout was 65.25 per cent and 24 candidates were in the fray; in 1991, the turnout was 63.72 per cent and 11 candidates contested; in 1996, the voter turnout was rerecorded 68.56 per cent and 28 candidates contested; in 1998, voter turnout was 66.6 per cent and 17 contested the polls; in 1999, the turnout was 62.39 per cent and only six candidates contested; in 2004, the turnout was 64.75 per cent and 20 candidates were in the fray; in 2009, the turnout was 64.75 per cent and 21 contested; in 2014, the turnout increased and was recorded at 69.55 per cent, while 23 candidates were in the election fray.

In 2019, the voter turnout was recorded at 70.92 per cent and a total of 29 candidates — of which 14 were Independent — were in the election fray. The seat has become hot as Congress stalwart leader and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and JJP’s Digvijay Chautala were in the fray against the BJP’s Ramesh Kaushik. However, Kaushik won by a margin of over 1.64 lakh votes.

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