INDIA VOTES 2024: In crucial Kosli segment, BJP and Congress make last-ditch efforts to woo electorate

Ravinder Saini

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Rohtak, May 22

Though the Rohtak parliamentary constituency comprises nine Assembly segments, among them, Kosli is being discussed the most in the political circles, and the reasons are obvious — electors in this Ahir-dominated segment had given almost one-sided support to the BJP in the previous Lok Sabha polls in 2019. This had played a crucial role in ensuring the victory of the BJP candidate, Dr Arvind Sharma.

Sharma took a massive lead of 74,980 votes from Kosli over Congress candidate Deepender Hooda at that time. Both candidates are again in the fray on the ticket of their respective parties and leaving no stone unturned to woo the electors.

Interestingly, both candidates were in Kosli on Monday. Deepender addressed poll meetings in more than 30 villages of the Kosli segment to get people’s support while the BJP held a rally in Kosli, wherein Union Ministers — Nitin Gadkari and Rao Inderjit — sought votes for the party candidate.

Having around 2.5 lakh votes in 138 villages, Kosli, a part of Rewari district, is also the largest Assembly segment of the Rohtak parliamentary constituency.

Since the declaration of the Lok Sabha polls, the candidates of the Congress and the BJP have persistently been holding poll meetings in the Kosli area and striking a chord with the electors by prominently raising Ahirwal regiment and other issues pertaining to the area.

The Congress believes that a considerable improvement in its performance in the Kosli segment this time is due to the anti-incumbency factor that prevails in the region as the BJP government has failed to live up to the expectations of the people. Even the Modi wave is not that strong in the election this time.

“The Agniveer scheme, development, inflation and unemployment are the major issues in Kosli, hence, we are quite confident to get a good lead over the BJP this time as no new development project started in Kosli in the past five years,” claimed a Congress leader.

The BJP is banking on national issues such as abrogation of Article 370, construction of Ram Temple, uniform civil code and women reservation to muster people’s support this time too but it is in no mood to leave anything loose in the last leg of the poll campaign hence it has roped in its maximum star campaigners in Kosli as compared to other segments of the Rohtak parliamentary constituency.

After Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, on Wednesday, two Union ministers — Nitin Gadkari and Rao Inderjit — hit the campaign trail in Kosli. Baba Balak Nath, mahant of Baba Mastnath Mutt and BJP MLA from Tijara (Rajasthan) was also present on the occasion.

“Rao Inderjit and Baba Balak Nath wield influence over people of the Ahir community hence their presence will prove instrumental in polarising Ahir voters in favour of the BJP candidate in the elections,” claimed a BJP leader.

Earlier, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and several other leaders hit the campaign trail in the Kosli area.

Both candidates again in fray

• Electors in the Ahir-dominated segment had given almost one-sided support to the BJP in the previous Lok Sabha polls held in 2019, which played a crucial role in ensuring the victory of BJP candidate Dr Arvind Sharma.
• Sharma took a massive lead of 74,980 votes from Kosli over Congress candidate Deepender Hooda at that time.
• Both candidates are again in the fray on the ticket of their respective parties and leaving no stone unturned to woo the electors