Farmers Movement Archive

Ellenabad all set for voting today

Stakes are high for the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), ruling BJP-JJP coalition and main Opposition Congress as voting will be held in the Ellenabad constituency of Sirsa district on Saturday.As many as 1, 85,873 voters, including 98,930 males, 86, 639 females and 304 service voters, will decide the fate of INLD candidate Abhay Singh Chautala, his former aide and Congress nominee Pawan Beniwal, and BJP’s Gobind Kanda, who are locked in a triangular contest for the Ellenabad seat.As many as 17 candidates are in fray but the real contest is between these three candidates, say experts.Meanwhile, on Friday evening, independent nominee Parthvi Sandhu extended support to Abhay, who is eyeing a fourth consecutive victory from his family bastion.The bypoll was necessitated after INLD’s lone MLA Abhay had resigned from the state assembly on January 27, after the Republic Day violence at Red Fort, in support of the farmers protesting against the Centre’s three contentious farm laws.As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), the voting process on 211 booths in the Ellenabad constituency will start at 7am and continue till 6pm on Saturday.Of the 211 booths, 121 were considered vulnerable and most vulnerable. Ellenabad town’s booth number 116 and Mehna Khera’s booth number 9 have been established as model booths.Sirsa deputy commissioner Aneesh Yadav said they have made all necessary arrangements to ensure free and fair elections. Counting of these votes will take place on November2.Abhay hopes to retain seat; ‘golden chance’ for BJPThe Ellenabad bypoll seems crucial for the INLD and its nominee Abhay Singh Chautala because this was the only assembly seat of the 90 seats in Haryana from where INLD had won in the 2019 assembly polls.A decisive win from here would reassert INLD’s stature in the state politics and particularly in the Jat-dominated farming belt.On the other hand, BJP claims that the bypoll is a golden opportunity for them and a test for the INLD, which has been holding the agriculture dominated seat since 1996.Abhay has been representing the seat 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 Chautala is 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.Abhay said the bypoll is a referendum for the three farm laws and he is fighting for the farmers’ issues.“The BJP can make all attempts but it cannot buy the votes of Ellenabad residents. Result of the bypoll will depict BJP-JJP’s poor governance in the last two years and the farmers’ anger towards them and the three farm laws,” he added.However, BJP election in-charge for the bypoll and former state chief Subhash Barala said people need a dedicated MLA who can fight for their rights.“Due to Abhay’s attitude, INLD saw a vertical split and his party was reduced from 19 seats to just one being won by himself in the 2019 assembly polls. His estranged nephew Dushyant Chautala, who is the deputy CM, in an alliance with our party, and had proved in the 2019 polls that he is the heir of Devi Lal’s legacy by winning 10 seats. Our alliance nominee will win from here and Abhay’s dream of getting Devi’s legacy will be shattered,” Barala added.Rajender Sharma, political science professor at Rohtak’s MDU, said the bypoll will reflect the BJP-JJP’s two year rule and the farmers’ anger against Centre’s farm laws.“This bypoll is crucial for INLD to retain its place in the state assembly while will have no major impact on the BJP-JJP government. But if BJP loses, there will be a question mark on the coalition government as it had lost the Baroda bypoll last year,” he added.

Hindustan Times

30-10-2021

Chandigarh