Bala seeks sympathy votes, BJP warns voters

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Mukerian, October 16

On the eve of Karva Chauth, Congress candidate Indu Bala is out in bazaars of Hajipur area of bypoll-Mukerian Assembly seat. As she sees that women are buying bangles, getting henna applied on their hands and purchasing food items related to the festivities, she gets teary eyed, remembering her husband former MLA Rajneesh Babbi, who passed away two months ago.

“I too could have been one among them enjoying all those festivities, but the Almighty had something else in store for me. I am here this time, with a white dupatta on my head and canvassing for votes in the name of my deceased husband,” she says as she seems fully aware on how to garner sympathy at this crucial juncture.

Even in the brochures being distributed by her, she mentions about her husband’s pending works, including setting up of a degree college in town. On the other hand, BJP candidate Jangi Lal Mahajan is telling people not to get swayed away by her opponent’s tears. “Indu Bala’s husband got two tenures. Her father-in-law Dr Kewal Krishan ruled for seven terms. Both of them have left the area in backwardness. If they could not do anything, what do you expect from her?” he says.

Mahajan also knows how to deal with the caste issue, which too is in favour of the Congress candidate who hails from Changh community having 40,000 voters. He tells the crowd, “Do not think of me as a Mahajan (the community has a thin population here). I am here to serve all of you, be it the Rajputs or the Sikhs or the Hindus.”