Poor law & order key issue in Doon, Nalagarh

Ambika Sharma

Deteriorating law and order in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial belt has emerged as a key election issue in the Doon and Nalagarh constituencies.

Truckers can play a decisive role in the elections and they are unhappy with the BJP due to a significant reduction in their freight business. They accuse the state government of succumbing to pressure from corporate houses.

Both segments have poor civic amenities; roads require regular repairs and there is no check on environment pollution. Local residents also resent poor health facilities in the two constituencies, as patients are often referred to hospitals in Chandigarh.

BJP’s Doon MLA Paramjeet Singh faces a tough contest from Congress candidate Ramkumar Chawdhary this time. Chawdhary had been active in the constituency since he lost the last elections. Issues like resentment among truckers and deteriorating law and order are likely to influence voters.

A drastic reduction in the annual budget of the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority from Rs 73 crore to Rs 14 crore has hit developmental works. Inadequate compensation for land acquired for railway and road widening projects is also an election issue in the Doon constituency.

In the Nalagarh constituency, a triangular contest is expected among old rivals who are fighting elections from different parties. Sitting Congress MLA Lakhwinder Rana had joined the BJP recently. He is the BJP candidate while BJP’s former MLA KL Thakur is in the fray as an Independent candidate. The Congress has fielded Hardeep Singh Bawa, who had fought the 2017 elections as an Independent candidate.

Rana is facing opposition in the BJP. He is also facing anti-incumbency.

Meanwhile, a sympathy wave is visible in favour of BJP rebel KL Thakur. In his poll campaign echoing “Mera Kya Kasoor”, he is reminding voters of works undertaken by him.

Bawa is banking on works undertaken by him and Rana’s failure on development front.

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