Farmers Movement Archive

Over 81.38% voter turnout reported in Ellenabad bypoll

Over 81.38% voter turnout was recorded in the Ellenabad bypoll in Haryana, election commission officials said. The voting had started at 7am and continued till 6pm.According to the election commission’s data, 81.38% voter turnout was reported in Ellenabad, while in the 2019 assembly polls, 83.24% voter turnout was recorded. Counting of votes will take place on November 2.After voting, the fate of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) candidate Abhay Singh Chautala, his former aide and Congress nominee Pawan Beniwal, and BJP’s Gobind Kanda is locked in the EVMs. Though 17 candidates are in fray, the main competition is between these three laeders.Sirsa deputy commissioner (DC) Anish Yadav said polling went smoothly and no incident of violence or unfair means was reported.“Tight security arrangements were made with deployment of 30 companies of the central security force, five companies of the rapid action force and the state police. Of the 211 booths, 121 were sensitive and hyper-sensitive. Ellenabad’s booth number 116 and Mehna Khera’s booth number 9 had been set up as model booths,” the DC added.After visiting Ellenabad constituency, Hisar range IGP Rakesh Arya said total 65 patrolling parties were formed to ensure free and fair elections.“We had installed 52 nakas on the borders of Punjab and Rajasthan,” Arya added.Congress nominee Pawan Beniwal cast his vote at his native Darba village. “I’m satisfied with the arrangements here,” he said.Thermal scanners in place, most voters weren’t wearing masksThe voters were in queue since 6.30am. Most voters in the rural areas are dependent on agriculture and voting is on amid mustard cultivation. Women and elderly voters outnumbered the youth at polling booths in the morning.Voters were being screened with thermal scanners at the polling booths but most of them were seen standing in queues without a face mask.Result of bypoll important for farm stir tooThe results of the Ellenabad bypoll is not just important for the BJP, INLD, and Congress but also for the farmers agitating against the Centre’s three farm laws.Rohtak-based political commentator Satish Tyagi said result of the bypoll will underline the impact of farmers’ stir against the farm laws, especially in Haryana.“This bypoll is being necessitated after Haryana became the epicentre of the farm stir and its results will definitely be a referendum to the farm laws,” Tyagi said.“If BJP loses from here with a big margin, then farm laws will have an impact and vice versa. The farmers have made this bypoll an issue of prestige for them and the BJP has also made all attempts to win the election and prove that there was no effect of farm laws,” Tyagi added.‘Matter of prestige’The bypoll was necessitated after INLD’s lone MLA Abhay Singh Chautala had resigned from the Haryana assembly on January 27 after the Republic Day violence at Red Fort, in support of the farmers protesting against the farm laws.The Ellenabad bypoll is just as crucial for the INLD because it’s the only seat in the 90-member Haryana assembly from where the INLD had won in 2019.A decisive win would reassert the INLD’s stature in state politics, particularly in the Jat-dominated farming belt.On the other hand, the BJP sees the bypoll as a golden opportunity for it and a test for the INLD, which has been holding the agriculture-dominated seat since 1996.Abhay has been representing the constituency since 2010, while the BJP has never won from here. No member of the Chautala family has lost from here so far since 1966.This assembly seat includes 35% Jat voters, a majority of whom are dependent on agriculture. Hence, INLD’s Abhay has been expecting their support amid the farm agitation. However, the BJP is trying to get majority of the non-Jat chunk of votes as it has fielded turncoat Gobind Kanda.

Hindustan Times

30-10-2021

Chandigarh