Adampur Bypoll | Left out of picture, JJP’s message to BJP: ‘don’t take our support for granted’
Not all’s well between the ruling allies BJP and JJP in Haryana ahead of the high-stakes bypoll to Adampur Assembly constituency where the saffron party has fielded Bhavya Bishnoi, the son of former Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi and grandson of three-time chief minister Bhajan Lal.
The Jannayak Janta Party, led by deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, has expressed unhappiness over not finding any mention in the posters and banners being put up ahead of the November 3 bypoll, a charge denied by the Bishnois.
The bypoll, scheduled for November 3, was necessitated after Bishnoi, then a Congress member, resigned from the Vidhan Sabha in August to join the BJP. Bhavya had also quit the Congress in August along with his father. Adampur is considered a stronghold of Bishnoi, who is also a four-time MLA from the seat.
Being an ally of the BJP, it is believed that the JJP will eventually support Bhavya, but the party has now made it clear that it shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Dushyant Chautala’s younger brother and JJP leader Digvijay Chautala said: “We are alliance partners. The BJP state president and its national leadership are saying that we have to carry forward the alliance strongly. In these circumstances, especially when a crucial election is taking place, it’s surprising that there is no symbol of JJP and photos of its leaders (on their posters).”
“JJP has a very strong base and that was visible in all past elections too. That won’t go in vain,” Digvijay added.
Senior JJP leaders including Dushyant, his father Ajay Singh Chautala and minister Devender Babli discussed the emerging political scenario at a meeting in Delhi Monday. Now, another meeting has been called for Tuesday which will be attended by the district presidents too. The JJP leaders want to give a clear message to the BJP that their support should not be taken for “granted”.
A senior party leader said that in 2019 Assembly election, the JJP candidate had secured over 15,000 votes from Adampur. BJP candidate Sonali Phogat had finished second. The leader also reminded that Dushyant Chautala (as INLD candidate) had defeated Bishnoi in the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Hisar seat. In that election Dushyant Chautala had secured over 43,000 votes from Adampur Assembly segment.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the Bishnois clarified that they have not officially released any posters, banners or hoardings for Adampur bypoll. “The posters which are being pointed out by the JJP leaders are in fact circulated by the supporters of Kuldeep Bishnoi and Bhavya on social media. We will release our official posters after filing the nomination papers,” the spokesperson said.
The Adampur bypoll result will have far reaching implications in Haryana’s politics especially for the three important political families — the Chautalas, the Bishnois and that of Chaudhary Birender Singh. Members of the three families are eyeing Hisar Lok Sabha seat for 2024 parliamentary polls. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP’s Brijendra Singh (Birender Singh’s son), the JJP’s Dushyant Chautala and Bhavya, then in the Congress, contested against each other. Brijendra bested Chautala to win the election while Bhavya lost his security deposit. It remains to be seen if Chautala and Brijendra Singh will throw their weight behind their former rival in the bypoll.
If Bhavya wins the bypoll, Kuldeep Bishnoi’s stature will increase in the saffron party. But if he fails to do that, political observers say, it would be an advantage for Dushyant Chautala and Brijendra Singh in the internal politics of BJP-JJP.
Only one nomination paper filed so far
An independent candidate Monday filed his nomination papers for byelection to the Adampur Assembly constituency, Returning Officer Subhash Chander said. The process of filing nomination papers for the bypoll started on October 7. Chander said the candidates will be able to file nomination papers in the office of the District Development and Panchayat Officer, Hisar, between 11 am and 3 pm till October 14. After scrutiny on October 15, nominations can be withdrawn till October 17.
While ruling BJP has fielded Kuldeep Bishnoi’s son Bhavya as its candidate for the bypoll, AAP has named Satender Singh, who was earlier with the BJP, as its nominee. Congress is yet to names its candidate.
