High-stake Adampur bypoll today

Hisar, November 2

The stage is set for the election of a representative from the Adampur Assembly constituency for the 17th time tomorrow as the polling parties headed for polling booths in villages today.

The District Electoral Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Uttam Singh, said 180 booths had been set up for byelections in 57 villages of the segment, which comprises 36 sensitive and 39 very sensitive polling stations. There are about 1.72 lakh voters in the Assembly constituency, including 92,000 male voters and 80,000 female voters.

He said a total of 22 candidates were in the fray in the by-election. The EC has appointed three observers and 30 micro-observers to ensure a fair election. Polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

The DC said two model booths had been set up in Bhodia Bishnoian (booth number 2) and Moda Khera village (Booth No 129). Besides, a “Sakhi” booth has been set up in Chandan Nagar.

The electorate in villages say higher polling percentage is expected as the stakes are very high for the ruling BJP, Congress, INLD and AAP.

The byelection was necessitated in the wake of resignation by sitting Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi, who joined the BJP in August this year. Adampur Assembly segment has witnessed a total of 16 elections, including three byelections. The electorate will exercise their franchise for the 17th time which is also the fourth byelection in this segment.

Notably, Adampur has been a bastion of Bhajan Lal as members of his family have claimed the MLA seat from here 16 times in a row from 1968. Bhajan Lal won nine times while his son Kuldeep Bishnoi emerged victorious four times. Kuldeep’s wife Renuka became the MLA in the 2011 byelection while his mother Jasma Devi had won from here in 1987. Bhavya, grandson of former Chief minister Bhajan Lal, is the fifth member of the family to contest from here.

This segment had witnessed the toughest contest in the 2009 Assembly elections when Kuldeep Bishnoi, a candidate of the Haryana Janhit Congress, had defeated Congress candidate Jai Prakash by a margin of 6,015 votes which has been the thinnest margin ever in Adampur segment.

Now, Jai Prakash, who has been a three-time MP from Hisar and is a two-time MLA, is again in the field on the Congress ticket while the BJP has fielded Bhavya. The INLD has fielded Kurda Ram Nambardar and AAP has nominated Satinder Singh.

22 candidates in the contest

180 booths set up for byelections in 57 villages

36 sensitive polling stations

39 very sensitive polling stations

1.72 lakh voters in the Assembly constituency