Neck and neck in Haryana

While BJP is banking on Modi charisma, INLD is upbeat after Chautala’s campaign

As a high-stakes, high-decibel campaign for the Haryana Vidhan Sabha election ended on Monday, the three major parties — the Congress, the BJP and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) — seem to be locked in a neck-and-neck race.

The stakes are high for the BJP making its first bid to form the government in the State on its own.

It is using Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pull off a win with its slogan of

‘Chalo Modi ke saath.’ The party wants to show that Mr. Modi’s popularity has not waned. On the other hand, the ruling Congress led by incumbent Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is pushing for a record third term.

Chautala, Modi look to tap Jat votes

The BJP’s stunning victory in the Lok Sabha elections when it swept Haryana winning seven out of the 10 seats and led in 52 out of the 90 Vidhan Sabha constituencies has put it right at the top as a favourite. Not content to play second fiddle to any regional partner as earlier, the party broke its alliance with the Haryana Janhit Congress. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing more than 10 rallies and senior BJP leaders criss-crossing the State, the party is pulling out all stops to make history.

The party hopes to win on the strength of the non-Jat votes and the Modi charisma. It has positioned itself as a fresh new alternative that has steered itself away from the caste politics of Haryana.

However, a resurgent INLD is upbeat after its jailed leader Chautala “misused” a bail given to him for medical reasons to campaign vigorously for the party.

Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda is facing a perceptible anti-incumbency mood and his attempts to emerge as the undisputed leader of the Jat community, by getting them reservation in government jobs hasn’t generated the expected goodwill. After its debacle in the Lok Sabha elections when it won just one out of 10 seats the chronic infighting in the party intensified.

Many left to join other parties and several others are fighting as Independent candidates against the official nominees. On Sunday, the party was forced to expel 46 partymen for harming the interests of the party.

Chautala’s campaigning while on bail has not just rejuvenated the party cadres but has given new hope to its traditional Jat vote-bank that does not want the leadership of the State to slip away from the community. The INLD has the added support of the Shiromani Akali Dal of Punjab with both Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and deputy Sukbir Badal campaigning for the party in the Sikh-dominated areas of the State.

The HJC and the Jan Chetna Party of Venod Sharma have also joined hands in the hope of poaching votes from the BJP and the Congress to mop up a few seats.