Panipat (Rural) set for triangular contest with entry of Cong rebel

The Panipat rural seat will witness a triangular contest this election with the entry of Congress rebel Vijay Jain on the seat.

The BJP has fielded former minister Mahipal Dhanda for the third consecutive time, while the Congress has fielded a new face Sachin Kundu from here, but Congress rebel Vijay Jain has made the contest interesting.

Political analysts said it had now become a challenge for Dhanda to retain the seat and for the Congress to win from here for the first time as independent candidate Jain is contesting hard, giving tension to the Congress and the BJP.

AAP candidate Sukhbeer Malik is trying to make his presence felt on this seat.

The Panipat rural seat came to existence in 2009 after delimitation. In 2009, an independent candidate Om Prakash Jain was elected MLA from here, but in 2014 and 2019 BJP’s Mahipal Dhanda registered win here.

In 2014, the contest was directly between the BJP and Congress candidate, while in 2019, the contest was between the BJP candidate Mahipal Dhanda and the JJP candidate Devender Kadyan, a close relative of former Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala. Kadyan is not contesting the election from here this time.

The political experts said the voters residing in the outer colonies were important for the candidates as they decided the fate of any candidate, though the rural voters could not be ignored, they said.

Dhanda is seeking votes on the basis of the works he has done in the last 10 years as he has kept the promise of not only the regularisation of these colonies, but also laid sewage lines and provided potable water and other facilities in these colonies.

Vijay Jain, who left the BJP and joined the Congress to unsuccessfully get a ticket, entered the electoral fray independently. He is seeking votes in the name of the pending works in the colonies, and also by alleging the BJP regarding the poor condition of colonies and rural areas, the experts said.

Congress candidate Sachin Kundu is a young face in the constituency and a close aide of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son MP Deepender Hooda.

Dhanda said on Thursday that the BJP was working for the bright future of all women, farmers and youths in the state and country. He addressed people in Nizampur village, Chandoli, Khotpura, Garh Sarnai, Palheri, Barana and Dera Sikligar in the constituency during the campaigning. He claimed that people’s support showed that the BJP was going to form the government for the third time in the state.

Similarly, Vijay Jain on Thursday held a rath yatra in Nangal Kheri village and also held meetings in various colonies, where he appealed to people to vote for him on October 5.

Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda held a campaign in support of Congress candidate Sachin Kundu in Dahar, Sewah, Risalu, Babail, Noorwala on Thursday and appealed to vote for the Congress candidate.