Haryana assembly polls: Veteran Vij, challenger Chitra lock horns again

It was the spring of 1990 when 37-year-old activist of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Anil Vij, resigned from his banking job and stepped into politics.

This was the turning point in his life, when his political mentor and former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj was elected to the Rajya Sabha and he was named by the party for the Ambala Cantonment by-election that he won. Since then, Vij, son of a railway employee, has never looked back.

Now, as a 71-year-old veteran leader, he has won six assembly elections since 1990, two as Independent and once facing a defeat by just 1.1% margin of votes.

In the 2024 elections, projecting himself as a chief ministerial candidate and a “Vikas Purush”, he is facing a stiff contest from Congress’ Parvinder Pal Pari (from Selja group) and Congress rebel Chitra Sarwara (from Hooda group) contesting as an Independent.

Vij, who held the important portfolios of home, health, urban local bodies, AYUSH, medical education, sports and others, during the tenures of former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, refused to take oath as minister when the then Kurukshetra MP Nayab Saini replaced Khattar as the chief minister in March this year.

Despite being the senior-most leader in the party, he even chose to skip the oath ceremony of Saini and his cabinet, preferring to spend time with his old pals and cadre back home, for what he is popular for.

Admired for his style of delivering “justice on spot”, Anil Vij aka Gabbar aka Baba would listen to complaints of as many as 5000 people at PWD rest house at his “Janata Darbar” on Saturdays till he was a minister.

During a conversation with Hindustan Times when he begin his shop-to-shop canvassing in the markets of his constituency, the BJP candidate said that he is sure of his victory and there is no competitor, as Congress and Independent candidates were “vertically diverted”.

When asked why he has challenged the high command by projecting himself as the CM probable, when they have already announced Saini as CM candidate, Vij said, “I’m not challenging anyone. I’m the senior-most leader in the party, I’ve every right to do so and it was my people who asked me to do so. But in the end, it is upto them to decide.”

Just when Vij was listing out the report card of projects to the merchants of Sadar Bazaar, a few lanes away, Independent candidate and former councillor Chitra Sarwara was explaining how the uncalled project “imposed” on the public was a complete “wastage” of money in the name of development.

“The wave for a change from a non-stop 15 years of leadership of Anil Vij has begun. During his tenure, there has been nothing done to improve sewage, drainage and garbage. Infact it is at its worst state. The basic infrastructure has not been developed, while high-end corruption has been found in the projects that are boasted-off everywhere. I believe the contest is between both of us and we are in a comfortable position as the public has called for an Ambala free from fear,” said Sarwara.

When Sarwara, 49, says that she is in contest only with Vij, the numbers from 2019 also speaks so. Just like this year, she was denied a party ticket in 2019 polls as well and contested her first assembly election as an Independent.

As BJP candidate, Vij had gained 64,571 (53.5%) of the votes polled, Sarwara stood second with 44,406 (37%) votes pushing Congress’ Venu Singla to third with just 8,534 votes (7.1%).

Confident of changing the numbers for Congress this time, party candidate and close aide of Sirsa MP Kumari Selja, Parvinder Pal Pari is actively involved in attending corner meetings.

At such an event on Panjokhara road, 48-year-old Pari, also a former councillor, highlighted how Vij as a “dabang mantri” only worked against poor and buldozed the houses of “innocents”.

“It was the BJP government and he as home minister who lathicharged our farmers and fired bullets on them....I’m merely a party workers with no political background whom the party chose as its candidate,” he added.

Further pointing out that “we are the real Congress”, in an apparent target on Sarwara, Pari asked isn’t it ironical that Congress is praised in Ambala City, but called out names in Ambala Cantt?

“People have understood all this and they will be answered,” Pari told the HT.

Sarwara’s father Nirmal Singh, a former minister is contesting on Congress ticket from bordering Ambala City constituency against BJP’s Aseem Goel.

Abhishek Tiwari, a local voter, said that the constituency has witnessed a drastic change under Vij’s leadership, but the wave of change blowing in the state could have a bearing on the seat as well.

Meanwhile, political analyst Suman Bhatnagar believes, “The contest seems to be triangular, but the real fight is between the two. Vij has a strong connection with the public and has worked for them tirelessly, meeting them at this residence, rest house and even at chowks. Whereas, Sarwara has earned herself the reputation of one who struggles and raises the voice of voiceless. She could gain out of this sentiment, while Pari has to try and ensure that the core party vote remains with him.”