Sharp rise in Congress ticket aspirants of 9 assembly segments in Faridabad, Palwal

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, August 16

The Lok Sabha poll results has led to a spurt in the number of aspirants for the Congress party tickets in majority of the nine assembly segments falling in Faridabad and Palwal districts. Seen as a fallout of the strong comeback by the party, it also points to an interesting tussle developing within the party camps over ticket allotment.

As the number of ticket seekers in the nine assembly segments in Faridabad and Palwal districts has been recorded at 106, the average number of aspirants has been over 11, according to the list released by the HPCC recently. This has been two to three times higher than the last time, it is claimed. While the highest number of 22 persons have registered for ticket in Faridabad segment (constituency number-89), the lowest number is two for Hodal (83), a SC reserved seat. Prithla segment of Faridabad district and Hathin in Palwal are placed at the second spot with 20 applicants each. Ballabgarh segment has got as many as 14 applicants. With NIT having 10 applications, Badkhal and Tigaon have got eight and seven respectively. However, fewer applications for Palwal and Hodal indicates that these had been strongholds of the candidates enjoying a high citadel.

Faridabad assembly segment is likely to be a showdown between the supporters of Hooda and Selja camp, claim the sources. While Lakhan Kumar Singla who had contested unsuccessful in the last assembly polls is a close ally of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Baljeet Kaushik has been a staunch supporter of Kumari Selja, MP. Sumit Gaur, another applicant from here is son of a former MLA Yogesh Gaur. Lalit Nagar, a former MLA from Tigaon, Sharda Rathore, a former MLA from Ballabgarh, Raghubir Singh Tewatia, a former MLA from Prithla (all belonging to Hooda camp), continue to hog the list of the applicants in their respective segments. Karan Singh Dalal and Ch Udai Bhan, both former MLA’s seem to have no major rival or challenge at Palwal and Hodal, according to sources. In Hathin also, Ch Harsh Kumar, a former minister and close ally of Hooda, seems to be leading in this matter though 19 other not so well known faces are the applicants including nine Muslim candidates have filed their applications. Hathin had provided a very handsome lead to the Congress party in the last Lok Sabha polls.

Entry of three-time former MP Avtaar Singh Bhadana, who has sought a ticket from NIT, has made things interesting or difficult for the party high command, as Neeraj Sharma is sitting Congress MLA from here and is very close former CM Hooda. The names of the candidates are likely to be decided on the report of the surveys and the parameters set by the party, according to a senior leader of the party.