The candidates in the poll fray clearly having desperate
time in trying to convince voters that they were the best option but
considering the struggle for power in the past in view of the performance of
each of the political parties in Haryana, the times seems to be difficult as
the by-poll has been made more an issue of prestige than the issues that relate
to fundamental values in a democracy and citizen’s aspirations for development.
Obviously agricultural distress and unemployment are the biggest issues that
have not been addressed during the election campaign now a month old.
Enters the stalwart Om Prakash Chautala ji for a short while
whose parole was suddenly called off but before he could be lodged in Tihar
Jail again, the statements from his mouth and his ailing wife about Dushyant
and Digvijay are frightening. I could not have gauzed that the rift between the
senior Chautala and his grandsons has become so wide as to call them traitors
and the grandmother wishing that they should not been born in the family. Now
that seems to go against both: INLD candidate and the newly formed JJP of the
brother duo and their father Ajay Singh.
Indicators, however faint they have been so far, indicate
that both Randip and BJP candidate Middha are gaining some strength: of them
the former seems to have made an edge during the confusion. Although winning
candidate may not make great strides in the Legislative assembly within a short
period but it is now clear that eyes of the powerful parties –Congress, INLD
and BJP, are set on the Lok Sabha and forthcoming Vidhan Sabha polls which will
be held early this year as per indications. It is for sure that Congress as well
as BJP has put all stakes into this by-poll claiming to return to power in the
State assembly. For BJP winning the next elections will be difficult as there
is a nationwide distraction from this party, particularly Haryana in which the
Jat electorate is anguished over neglect and lower participation in the
governance. Most Jats have not reconciled to the BJP rule in the State and
feeling alienated.
On the other hand the intelligentsia in the state is closely
watching the caste politics that have imbalanced the democratic value and
assigned the progress and development on the back burner. Only the Centrally
funded projects in the State are moving ahead but the major concerns of the
people of the state lay elsewhere: most of them of the nature of individual
benefits with which issues of livelihood are closely associated. The leadership
in the State has been squandering large amounts of money on religious
extravaganza such as Geeta Jayanti celebrations and huge awards (running into
crores) to the sports persons instead of propagating the meaning of good and
healthy life styles. State has not adequately invested in remodeling and
improving the infrastructure of schools, remodeling the school level syllabus, neglected
transport sector and management of district level bus terminuses, public
health, maintenance and conservation of heritage value assets and harnessing
the talent in Haryana. Ridiculously, the work requiring intellectual investment
by harnessing the talent within the State, the assignments were allotted through
a process of tender affecting quality and clear vision. Petty politics and appeasement
of caste groups have been supreme considerations through all political groups
be it was Congress, BJP or INLD. Therefore, it would matter little as who wins
the Jind by-poll because it is not going to turn the scales against or in favor
of either the ruling party or others. It is rather a test of grit with an eye on
the future. It is creating a sort of large scale despair among the people of
Jind constituency while rest of Haryana watches with closed fingers. Psephology
in this by-election has not a great role to play.
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