Congress bit off chunk of BJP vote in Yamunanagar

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, June 5

Taking a lead of 30,826 votes in Jagadhri, Sadhaura and Yamunanagar Assembly segments, Congress MP-elect Varun Chaudhry secured 2,50,814 votes from these segments in the Lok Sabha elections.

However, the runners-up, BJP’s Banto Kataria, got 2,19,988 votes from these Assembly segments.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s Rattan Lal Kataria — who died in May last year — had taken a lead of 1,21,958 votes in these three Assembly segments of the district. He had bagged 2,69,189 votes while Congress candidate Kumari Selja had got only 1,47,231 votes.

The ruling BJP suffered a major setback this time as Banto — Rattan Lal Kataria’s wife — couldn’t take lead in 38 rounds of counting in the two Assembly segments Jagadhri and Sadhaura, while mixed results were witnessed in the Yamunanagar Assembly segment. The Jagadhri and Yamunanagar Assembly segments of the district are represented by BJP MLAs.

Jagadhri is represented by Haryana Agriculture Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar and Yamunanagar by Ghanshyam Dass Arora.

However, Renu Bala is the Congress MLA from the reserved Sadhaura Assembly segment. Congress candidate Varun Chaudhry got 90,435 votes from the Jagadhri Assembly segment while BJP’s Banto Kataria bagged 74,989 votes from the segment.

In the Sadhaura Assembly segment, Varun Chaudhry secured 98,531 votes while Banto bagged 58,476 votes.

BJP got a good response in Yamunanagar Assembly segment. Banto got 86,523 votes, while the Congress’ Chaudhary bagged 61,848 votes.

“In this election, a larger number of voters had voted for Congress in Jagadhri, Yamunanagar and Sadhaura Assembly segments in comparison to the last LS elections. It is a matter of concern for the BJP as the Assembly elections are round the corner ,” said a political observer.

Radaur Assembly segment of Yamunanagr district comes under the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat, where BJP’s Naveen Jindal has registered a win.

Shift in vote bank concern for party

In the Lok Sabha elections, a larger number of voters had voted for Congress in Jagadhri, Yamunanagar and Sadhaura Assembly segments in comparison to the last Lok Sabha elections. It is concerning for the BJP as the Assembly elections are round the corner in the state. — POLITICAL OBSERVER