Lok Sabha polls: Big guns boom as campaigning ends in Haryana

Haryana is heading towards what looks like a down to the wire slugfest in majority of the total 10 Lok Sabha seats as the over two-month-long campaigning during which top political leaders crisscrossed the state drew to a close on Thursday evening.

The Congress is betting on the palpable anti-incumbency sentiment prevailing especially against the 10-year rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana, the saffron party candidates are keeping their fingers crossed and banking on “Modi magic”.

All indications, however, point towards a direct and tough contest between the BJP and the Congress.

While in Hisar parliamentary seat the electoral bout has shaped up into a bitterly fought four-cornered contest, in Kurukshetra a keenly contested triangular fight is on the cards. In Gurugram and Karnal, the BJP appears comfortably placed.

In Hisar, a thriller is unfolding where Naina Chautala of the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), and Sunaina Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) are locked in a fierce battle with their father-in-law Ranjit Singh Chautala of the BJP and Congress’ Jai Parkash.

As on Thursday at 5pm the curtains were drawn on electioneering that began after the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared Lok Sabha poll schedule on March 16, the leaders of BJP, Congress, AAP, JJP, and INLD made last ditch efforts to reach out to the voters.

The INLD is contesting on seven seats, JJP on 10 and the BSP has fielded candidates on nine seats.

The last day of campaigning in Haryana was marked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a rally in Mahendergarh; and defence minister Rajnath Singh in Palwal giving a fillip to the poll prospects of Faridabad nominee Krishan Pal Gurjar, who is facing a tough challenge from Congress’ veteran leader Mahender Pratap Singh.

Preparations in place for polling: CEO

“On May 24, all the polling parties will head to their designated polling stations. All preparations for polling on May 25 have been completed,” chief electoral officer (CEO) Anurag Agarwal said.

INDIA bloc fighting over ghee before cow has given milk: PM

Addressing a rally at Pali village in Mahendergarh in support of BJP candidate and two-time sitting MP Dharambir Singh, Modi said that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will determine the future of INDIA bloc and the opposition alliance is talking about five PMs over the next five years. “The fight over ‘ghee’ has broken out in the alliance, even before the cow has given milk,” he said.

The INDIA bloc is “extremely communal, casteist and nepotist”, the PM said while alleging that when the Congress was in power, it did not allow the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

In an emotional appeal, Modi said he had worked in Haryana as party’s in-charge in 1995 and he asked people about ‘ Narnaul Ka Surja halwai, and ‘Mahendergarh ki mithai’.

Modi said that he had great ties with former Haryana CM Bansi Lal, and he used to talk with the former CM till late night when the BJP and Haryana Vikas party were running a coalition government in the state from 1996-1999.

“Bansi Lal used to love me. I was very close to him, and he carried out huge development in Haryana and we will continue to follow his path,” Modi said.

Those who stopped you from entering Delhi, throw them out of Delhi: Priyanka

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi held a roadshow in Sirsa to galvanise support for Kumari Selja, who is pitted against BJP’s Ashok Tanwar, former Haryana Congress president.

During her first poll rally in Haryana on Thursday, Priyanka slammed the BJP government for “unemployment, corruption and inflation” in Haryana. She flayed the PM and the BJP on various issues, including farmer’s protests, Agniveer scheme and women wrestlers’ issues.

Addressing the “Nyaya Sankalp rally” in Panipat in support of Lok Sabha candidate, Divyanshu Budhiraja, she said, “Those who stopped you from entering Delhi, throw them out of Delhi. This is your country. This country’s soldier is your son. When your sons give their lives for the nation, you send your other children too. I understand this because I am also the daughter of a martyr and the granddaughter of a martyr.”

“When Sakshi Malik won the medal, PM Modi clicked a picture with her that ‘Modi Hai toh Mumkin Hai’. When that girl was suffering, nobody called her once to talk to her. The BJP has made policies merely for billionaires,” she said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Rahul Gandhi also campaigned in the state.

Among the prominent contestants are BJP’s Manohar Lal Khattar (Karnal); Union ministers Rao Inderjit Singh (Gurugram); Krishan Pal Gurjar (Faridabad); Naveen Jindal (Kurukshetra); and Congress’ Deepender Singh Hooda (Rohtak), who is also a Rajya Sabha MP.

At present, the BJP has 10 MPs and the party had declared its candidates much before the Congress.

Initially, the BJP appeared ahead of the Congress in campaigning as the Congress delayed ticket distribution.

Nonetheless, the Congress took advantage of the palpable anti-incumbency against the BJP in Haryana. The party tried to further turn the tide against the BJP by raising issues related to the restive farmers, youth seeking jobs, price rise, women wrestlers, and Agnipath scheme.

The BJP and Congress also tried to ambush each other time and again through its poaching games and defections became a norm.

Director general of police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur while reviewing the security arrangements said over 35,000 Haryana police personnel, 112 companies of paramilitary forces, and over 24,000 home guards have been deployed for the Lok Sabha elections.