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3 candidates from Devi Lal clan hot up Dabwali fight
In Dabwali, a tight political race features candidates from the Devi Lal clan, tackling issues like narcotics and unemployment as they seek voter support.
The politically significant assembly seat of Dabwali is witnessing a hot contest where three key contestants from the clan of the legendary farmer leader and former deputy prime minister Devi Lal are up against each other. These candidates have one thing in common — their reliance on the family legacy when it comes to wooing the voters in their home constituency.
The issue of easy availability of narcotics, rising unemployment due to lack of industrial development and inadequate irrigation facilities are highlighted by candidates in their speeches and public meetings.
The incumbent legislator of the predominantly rural segment and Congress nominee, Amit Sihag, is banking upon the role of his father Dr KV Singh, a veteran Congressman who built a political base against his cousin and former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, and his direct connect with the electorate.
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) candidate Aditya Devi Lal is a turncoat, who stayed with the BJP for 10 years before switching sides early this month after the saffron party denied him a ticket. In 2019, Aditya had contested unsuccessfully for the BJP.
Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) candidate Digvijay Chautala is the younger brother of former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala. Digvijay’s father Ajay Chautala, founder of the JJP, earlier remained a parliamentarian and MLA before he was convicted in teachers’ recruitment scam.
Sharing its border with Punjab, Dabwali is a Sikh-dominated constituency. Dabwali remained a political bastion of the Chautala clan whose native Chautala village also falls in this segment before the Congress breached the bastion in 2019, ending the INLD’s two-decade-long dominance.
As the electioneering is entering the deciding phase, the Congress is witnessing an awkward situation where its veteran Dalit leader and sulking incumbent parliamentarian from Sirsa, Kumari Selja has not hit the ground even once.
The INLD and the JJP candidates are facing flak in the agrarian-dominating segment of the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat of their previous political association with the BJP.
On the eve of a roadshow by former chief minister Bhupinder Hooda in his support, Amit Sihag spent his day at his office in the town on Saturday. Before Sihag entered his political office near the civil hospital, his father Dr KV Singh was busy holding one-to-one meetings with his supporters to make Hooda’s roadshow a success.
Congress nominee did not deny that the absence of the local MP and political heavyweight, Kumari Selja, was a worrying factor. “I expect she will start campaigning for me from next week,” said the 42-year-old.
Sihag terms his direct electoral battle with the Chautala family as his USP (unique selling proposition) and hopes that people will repose faith in him for the second consecutive term. “I am pursuing a political battle started by my father against the autocratic style of politics practicised by Chautala and his sons for decades,” said the Congress nominee, an engineer who also holds a law degree.
Hitting at his electoral opponents, Sihag said the candidates of the INLD and the JJP did nothing even when they were part of the BJP government. He termed the INLD as the B team of the BJP and claimed the JJP held no ground in the area. “The BJP candidate has withdrawn its candidate from Sirsa in support of Haryana Lokhit Party candidate Gopal Kanda. Kanda has been quoted in the media that he will support the BJP again and the INLD has also not fielded any candidate from there and Abhay Chautala is canvassing for him in Sirsa,” said Sihag who does not shy away from mentioning that even former BJP CM Manohar Lal Khattar acknowledged his efforts to boost development works for Dabwali.
A former president of BJP’s Sirsa unit, Aditya Devi Lal admitted compromising on political ideology as he joined the INLD only after the saffron party decided not to field him from Dabwali this time. “Chalo iss bahane parivar to ikkattha hua. I am meeting people to seek votes in the name of Tau Devi Lal whose pro-farmers political ideology is being pursued on the guidance of (OP) Chautala sa’ab,” he told this reporter at an election meeting in Tappi village.
Escorted by a convoy of youth on tractors, Aditya left Mithari village for Tappi driving a tractor where he sought votes for his “10 saal ki mazdoori” for the developmental works he did when he was with the BJP.
JJP nominee Digvijay Chautala, who arrived at Pipli village after a two-hour delay, rushed to various houses to induct villagers to the party fold. “The INLD has a vote bank of the affluent classes whereas the underprivileged section acknowledges the leadership of (his father and the JJP patron) Dr Ajay Singh Chautala. The JJP will again play an important role in the new government and we are committed to the welfare of the poor and kamera varg (working class),” he told villagers.
“(INLD candidate) Aditya chacha is living in an illusion that by switching over parties will make him an acceptable face in the halqa. And the family of Dr KV Singh is with our rival Congress for decades and their candidate will be defeated as he remained absent from constituency. I have opened libraries from my personal resources and people appreciate our vision,” said Digvijay.
Admitting facing criticism of going with the BJP, Digvijay says he is confident that people will vote them again. “Dushyant, during his deputy chief ministership, worked a lot for the people, especially for this region. People know that and they will support me,” he told womenfolk near the village chaupal before he proceeded in a convoy of SUVs.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal was on Monday in Dabwali where he sharpened his attack on the BJP government at the Centre, alleging that they wanted to “break” him in jail and make him join the NDA.
“They don’t know that I am from Haryana. You can break anyone, but not Haryanawaley,” said Kejriwal during a roadshow in Dabwali in Sirsa district.
