Panchayati Raj poll: Congress, BJP brace for 'indirect fight' in Haryana

Tribune News Service

Pradeep Sharma
Chandigarh, May 5

The political temperature is set soar in Haryana, with two major political parties, the BJP and Congress, bracing up for an “indirect fight” in the forthcoming elections to the Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs).

50% quota for women

• BJP, Cong not to contest panchayat, panchayat samiti and zila parishadpolls on party symbol
• This is the 1st election after Haryana Panchayat Raj Act-2020, was notified last year
• Under the new rules, there is 50% quota for women and 8% quota for backward classes
• All political parties have launched mass contact programmes for the elections

However, the AAP will contest the elections on the party symbol.

After a lull in political activity on account of Covid, all political parties have launched mass contact programmes for the PRIs elections and subsequent municipal elections.

Though political parties do not fight PRIs (panchayat, panchayat samiti and zila parishad) elections on party symbols, the candidates are indirectly supported by the political parties. Party cadres of all parties fight the panchayat elections which are considered to be stepping stones for a bigger role in the party organisation.

Political affiliations of different candidates are clearly reflected during the elections, though the candidates usually prefer to call them Independents. However, in the last zila parishad elections, the BJP had fought on its election symbol.

Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, while saying that Congress usually did not fight the panchayat polls on the party symbol, claimed that the public sentiment was against the BJP-JJP government.

Sanjay Sharma, BJP’s media in charge, said though no decision had yet been taken on fighting the panchayat polls on party symbol, the party was open to fighting the zila parishad polls on its symbol.

While the BJP and BJP are wary of fighting election on the party symbols, the AAP, basking under its historic win in Punjab, has already announced to fight the PRIs’ elections and municipal polls on the party symbol. “We are fully geared up to fight our maiden panchayat polls and hope to do well in the backdrop of the BJP-led government’s anti-people policies,” Yogeshwar Sharma, AAP’s North Zone secretary, said.

Meanwhile, BJP’s alliance partner, JJP, has also stepped up its mass campaign in the run-up to panchayat and MC polls, indicating it might go alone in the polls.

This is the first election after the Haryana Panchayat Raj Act, 2020, was notified last year. Under new rules, there is 50% quota for women and 8% quota for backward classes.

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