Faridabad: Newer Assembly segments set to see keen contest between Congress and BJP
Tribune News Service
Faridabad, August 26
The NIT (New Industrial Township) Tigaon, Badkhal and Prithla Assembly segments in the district, which were carved out as new constituencies about 15 years ago, are set to see a close contest between the ruling BJP and the Congress party in the fourth election, scheduled to be held on October 1.
While the BJP, which has never won from NIT and Prithla segments, is faced with the challenge of winning these seats for the first time, its main rival Congress has been burdened with the target of retaining all the seats that had been wrested by the BJP in the 2019 elections, according to some political analysts.
The NIT segment, a leading industrial hub with around 7,000 industrial units and a major revenue provider, has seen the hold of the Congress and sitting MLA Neeraj Sharma’s family in the past three elections. The BJP, which had been placed at the second place in 2019, had finished in third and fourth positions in 2014 and 2009 respectively.
Pandit Shiv Charan Lal Sharma who won as an Independent in 2009 lost to Nagender Bhadana of the INLD in 2014. However, his son, Neeraj Sharma, was able to win this seat in 2019 on the Congress ticket. As Neeraj is expected to be fielded again, the BJP has been searching for a strong candidate in order to wrest the seat from the Congress, says Vishnu Goel, an analyst.
A similar situation prevails at Prithla seat also carved out in 2009. As the BJP is eyeing to capture it this time, the situation seems not to be very favourable, says Ajay Chaudhary, a resident. He said, while the Congress and the BSP have won in 2009 and 2014, the only relief for the BJP is that Nayan Pal Rawat who won as an Independent in 2019, extended his support to the BJP government and is trying to get a BJP ticket this time. Interestingly, Tek Chand Sharma who won as a BSP candidate from here in 2014 has also been an aspirant for a BJP ticket from here.
Badkhal is the third constituency where the BJP and the Congress are likely to lock horns again. Congress party’s Mahender Pratap Singh who was elected as the first MLA from Badkhal in 2009, lost to BJP’s Seema Trikha in 2014. Trikha, currently a Cabinet minister, defeated Pratap’s son Vijay Pratap Singh (Congress) in 2019. The BJP may face a tough time in making a hat-trick in view of anti-incumbency and the result of the recent Lok Sabha polls, says Devinder Singh Surjewala, a local resident. At Tigaon seat, the BJP aiming to repeat a victory for the second consecutive term may be faced with a close fight with the Congress as the latter is eyeing to retain it again, according to a local leader.
Tough fight
- The BJP, which has never won from NIT and Prithla segments, is faced with the challenge of winning these seats for the first time
- Its main rival Congress has been burdened with the target of retaining all the seats that had been wrested by the BJP in 2019 elections
- In Badhkal, the BJP may face a tough time making a hat-trick in view of anti-incumbency and the result of the recent
Lok Sabha poll
