With just three days left for the high-voltage Jind bypoll, scheduled to be held on January 28, the major political parties are sweating it out to woo the voters.
As the political campaign will come to an end on January 26, 48 hours before the polling day, the senior leaders of all political parties on Thursday hit the streets to reach out to the voters.
The keenly-watched Jind bypoll is considered a three-cornered electoral battle with BJP’s Krishan Middha, son of late INLD MLA Hari Chand Middha, Congress’ heavyweight Randeep Surjewala and Jannayak Janta Party’s Digvijay Chautala, great grandson of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal in the fray.
The INLD, which is facing a major challenge to retain its seat, has fielded Umed Singh Redu.
BJP’s veteran leader Kalraj Mishra, who has been made incharge for the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana, on Thursday addressed public meetings for party candidate Middha. He was accompanied by Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala and party MLA Prem Lata.
Misra, while talking to the mediapersons, said that the party will get support from various sections and register a comfortable victory in Jind.
Union Minister Birender Singh, who hails from Jind, also campaigned for the party. The Minister said that the rival political parties have fielded outsiders in the Jind bypoll and will face defeat.
“Those who are making promises of making Jind, a smart city could not do anything for the Assembly seat during their rule in Haryana,” said Birender Singh, while attacking the Congress and the INLD.
Cabinet Ministers have also been camping in Jind and intensively campaigning for Krishan Middha. Cabinet Ministers Capt Abhimanyu, OP Dhankar among others addressed various programmes on Thursday to seek votes for the party candidate.
On the other hand, the Congress candidate, Randeep Surjewala himself addressed more than 20 programmes throughout the day on Thursday. While addressing a series of Nukkad Sabhas on Thursday, Surjewala made an appeal to the voters of Jind to support him in the bypoll and also, promised overall development of the Assembly segment.
Sitting MLA from Kaithal, Surjewla mentioned that he is not an outsider and belongs to Jind.
A popular Jat face in Haryana, Surjewala also attacked the BJP and INLD for ignoring the development works in Jind Assembly constituency in the past four and a half year tenure.
Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma and other senior leaders also held campaigning for Surjewala in Jind.
Another youth Jat leader, Digvijay Chautala, candidate of fledgling JJP also reached out to the voters in the Assembly constituency.
Aam Aadmi Party, led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, had recently announced support for Digvijay and have been carrying out door-to-door campaign for him in the Assembly segment.
Digvijay’s elder brother, Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala along with members of Aam Aadmi Party addressed a gathering on Thursday while Digvijay’s mother, Naina Chautala, MLA from Dabwali also held public meetings to muster support for her son.
Dushyant alongwith AAP leaders asked the people to vote for change and ensure that the State of Haryana is free of CBI—Congress, BJP and INLD. Digvijay Singh is a youth leader with clean image and should be given an opportunity to represent the Assembly constituency, for its overall development, Dushyant said while addressing a programme.
Struggling to retain the Jind Assembly seat in the bypoll, Leader of opposition and INLD’s senior leader Abhay Chautala and INLD state party chief Ashok Arora are also intensively campaigning for the party candidate.
During campaigning, Ashok Arora lashed out at the JJP questioning its stand on Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. JJP has betrayed the people of Haryana by joining hands with AAP. AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal had earlier supported Punjab’s stand against the construction of SYL, Arora added.
Abhay Chautala’s son Arjun and Karan also held electioneering for the INLD candidate.
Winning the Jind bypoll has turned into a prestige issue for all major political parties as the outcome will indicate the sentiments of voters of the State ahead of upcoming Lok Sabha polls and Assembly polls later this year in Haryana.
Being in power in Haryana for over four years now, the BJP does not want to lose in Jind as the defeat would be a major setback to its image while the Congress is desperately looking for a victory to send across a message that it is on a path of revival ahead of general elections 2019.
The INLD and the JJP, on the other hand, are fighting for their dominance in the State politics.
Jind, considered the heart of Haryana’s Jatland, has more than 1.7 lakh voters including over 1.07 lakh urban voters and nearly 62,500 living in villages.
The bye-election to Jind assembly seat was necessitated following the demise of Hari Chand Middha in August last year. INLD’s Hari Chand Middha had represented the Jind seat for two consecutive terms in 2009 and 2014.
The result of Jind bypoll will be declared on January 31.