The ruling Bharatiya Janta Party in Haryana may face a tough time in securing a victory in the Jind assembly bypoll, with Jat outfits planning upping the ante against the BJP over their long-pending demands including reservation.
Given the significance of outcome of crucial Jind bypoll ahead of 2019 general elections, the Jat outfits have decided to reach out to the voters and make an appeal to cautiously elect their representative, bearing in mind the violent Jat agitation 2016 in Haryana and long-pending demands of dominant Jat community in the state.
Jind assembly segment has more than 1.7 lakh voters, over 1.07 lakh of whom live in the urban areas.
According to the political analysts, the caste combinations will play a vital role in centrally located Jind, known as the political heart of Jatland Haryana. Jats comprising more than 25 percent voters would be crucial in deciding the fate of a candidate in the bypoll.
The Jind bypoll, which is scheduled to be held on January 28 is witnessing a high-pitched three-cornered electoral battle, with the Congress’ sitting MLA Randeep Singh Surjewala, Jannayak Janta Party’s Digvijay Chautala and BJP’s Krishan Middha, son of late INLD MLA Hari Chand Middha, in the fray.
The INLD, which is facing a tough challenge to retain its Jind assembly seat has fielded Umed Singh Redhu for the bye-election.
Yashpal Malik, president, All India Jat Aarkashan Sanghrash Samiti (AIJASS) while talking to The Pioneer said, “We have got printed pamphlets, which will be distributed among the people of Jind assembly constituency asking them to carefully elect their candidate, who promises to fulfill the long-pending demands of Jat community.”
Yashpal Malik, who had spearheaded the protest in support of Jat reservation demand in January 2016 and continuing the agitation till now, said, “In the pamphlet, we have asked several questions to various political parties regarding our demands.”
Accusing the BJP of betraying the Jats on reservation issue, Malik said that the current regime has not fulfilled its promises and we have asked them whether they would accept our demands after winning the Jind assembly seat. Questions regarding the role of BJP Ministers and leaders in 2016 Jat agitation have also been raised in the pamphlet, he said.
Similar questions have been asked to Congress, Jannayak Janta Party and Indian National Lok Dal on how they plan to fulfill our demands, the Jat leader said.
Malik said that the community will support that party in the bypoll, which promises reservation for Jats.
“We are currently holding Bhaichara/Jat Sandesh Yatras in villages of Haryana over our demands. We will also hold a national level Jat convention on February 9-10 in Jassia at Rohtak,” he added.
The Jat community has been demanding reservation in government jobs and educational institutions, general amnesty for those booked during the February 2016 Jat quota violence, reconsideration of criminal cases lodged against Jat agitators since 2010.
Malik added that the Centre’s 10 percent reservation in government jobs and higher education for the economically backward sections in the general category will not be beneficial to Jats.
Notably, the Jat agitation in February 2016 had left more than 30 people dead and over 300 injured in Haryana. After the agitation, the Manohar Lal Khattar Government in Haryana had buckled under pressure by giving 10 percent reservation to Jats and five other communities in the state. However, the move was put on hold by the Punjab and Haryana High Court since May 2016.
Since then, the Jat community has been time and again holding protests over their demands.
Unhappy with the BJP, another faction of AIJASS headed by Jat leader Hawa Singh Sangwan has also announced to campaign against the ruling party in the Jind bye-election
“We will not support the BJP in bypoll and protest against the party for their betrayal to the Jat community,” said Sangwan.
He added that we will hold a meeting in Jind on Wednesday and announce our protest.
The bye-election to Jind assembly seat was necessitated following the demise of Hari Chand Middha in August. INLD’s Hari Chand Middha had represented the Jind seat for two consecutive terms in 2009 and 2014.
While both the Congress and the INLD have won the Jind assembly seat multiple times, the BJP has never won the seat so far.
The bypoll result is going to set the tone for upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the assembly elections later this year in Haryana.