BJP, Congress repose faith in non-Jats for mayoral polls

The Jat-non Jat narrative is apparently visible in the run-up to the March 2 MC poll in Haryana, with the dominant Jat community failing to find a representation from two major political parties—the BJP and the Congress—in the mayoral poll.

Instead, the BJP and the Congress have reposed their faith in the non-Jats, especially Punjabis, Vaishs, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and other backward classes (OBCs) for the 10 mayoral posts for the upcoming MC poll, being touted as a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress after the Assembly elections.

While the ruling BJP has fielded three Punjabis, the Congress has put up four Punjabi candidates. Two Vaish candidates have been nominated by the BJP while the Congress has put up one candidate from the community. The SCs have found two representations each from both parties. A Brahmin has also been fielded by the BJP.

As far as OBCs are concerned, one representative from the Yadav community each has been fielded by the parties. The BJP has fielded a Saini candidate while the Congress has fielded a representative from the Gujjar community.

Sources in the BJP said caste combinations were kept in mind while selecting the mayoral candidates. "Since non-Jats played a deciding role in the MC poll, the fielding of the non-Jat candidates was a natural choice. Non-Jats and urban voters are our traditional vote bank in the civic bodies that are primarily concentrated in urban areas,” a senior BJP functionary told 'The Tribune'.

However, BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli tried to play down the caste narrative, claiming that the BJP practiced ‘Haryana ek, Haryanvi ek’ doctrine, which aimed at taking all 36 communities along the path of development. “Winnability has been the sole criterion for the selection of mayoral candidates,” Badoli asserted.

Similarly, Congress sources said it was a coincidence that no Jat candidate had been fielded by the party. “With the help of 36 'biradaris' (communities), the Congress would put a good show in the upcoming MC polls.

Winnability only criterion

“The BJP practiced ‘Haryana ek, Haryanvi ek’ doctrine which aimed at taking all 36 communities along the path of development. Winnability has been the sole criterion for the selection of mayoral candidates.”

— Mohan Lal Badoli, BJP chief