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Adampur win: BJP-Bishnois gamble pays off
In last three years, Adampur was the third by-election the BJP was facing after the party retained power with the support of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in the wake of fractured mandate in the October 2019 state elections
: The impressive win of Bhavya Bishnoi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee in Adampur assembly segment bypoll, is a much-needed shot in the arm for Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
It is the 15,740 votes victory margin of BJP nominee that makes the Adampur bypoll outcome reassuring for the ruling BJP in view of different governance related challenges and the humiliating defeats suffered in Baroda and Ellenabad bypolls to arch rivals Congress and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) respectively.
In last three years, Adampur was the third by-election the BJP was facing after the party retained power with the support of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in the wake of fractured mandate in the October 2019 state elections.
Now, the BJP’s tally in the 90-member state assembly has risen to 41.
The poll outcome also brings to the fore the political acumen of the state BJP chief OP Dhankar, who is credited for putting in place a shrewd campaign strategy to counter Congress’ attack on Kuldeep Bishnoi, while assuaging the ruffled feelings of voters unhappy with “inaccessible Bishnois.”
On the other hand, the verdict is an embarrassing eye opener for the AAP which was polled 2.60% votes even as the INLD, despite performing better than AAP, was nowhere in the fight with 3.99% vote share. And the divided Congress with 39.3% vote share put up a strong fight and did not let the BJP have a smooth ride. The performance of the Congress nominee is an indication of the prevailing public mood ahead of the 2024 assembly polls.
Rare hold of Bhajan Lal clan
Nonetheless, by registering this victory with 51.3% vote share, Bhavya Bishnoi, son of Kuldeep Bishnoi, a former four-term MLA and also a two-time Lok Sabha MP, has again proved the rare hold of former three-term chief minister Bhajan Lal’s clan over Adampur where the family has not suffered a single defeat since 1968.
According to Rohtak-based political commentator Satish Tyagi, the Adampur verdict has sent out a loud and clear message that “Kuldeep Bishnoi” continues to have an iron like grip in his father’s citadel.
“It was not an election between the BJP and the Congress,” Tyagi said, adding it was a political tussle between the family of Bhajan Lal on one side and Bhupinder Singh Hooda on the other.
The tussle of Bishnoi with Hooda dates back to 2005 when Congress appointed Hooda as the chief minister, instead of non-Jat leader Bhajan Lal. Bishnoi had been struggling to recover from the 2009 setback when his HJC MLAs defected to help the Congress gain majority and Hooda become CM again.
Kuldeep Bishnoi, with his father’s support, floated Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) in 2007 and quit the Congress.
“The credit of victory goes to Kuldeep Bishnoi and not the BJP. Hooda’s poll strategy is traditional, while BJP is very innovative, “ Tyagi said.
Political observers say Bhavya’s victory finally rehabilitates the Bhajan Lal clan by bringing it closer to the power after a hiatus of 26 years. The Bhajan Lal clan had gone out of power in 1996 and after that Bishnois were in political oblivions despite winning polls. During the electioneering, the BJP promised to the hilt that Adampur will get in two years what was denied to it in the past 26 years.
Bhavya’s victory comes after a humiliating defeat in his maiden Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate from Hisar Lok Sabha seat in 2019 when he lost his deposit and was relegated to third slot.
Dip in victory margin
In Adampur, the showdown was between Bishnoi, who was polled 67,492 votes (51.3% vote share) and Congress nominee Jai Parkash, who bagged 51,752 votes with 39.3% vote share.
In 2019 Haryana assembly elections when Bhavya’s father Kuldeep Bishnoi contested as Congress nominee, he had secured 63,693 votes with 51.7% vote share. On the other hand, the BJP’s vote share was 27.78%. And the victory margin of Bishnoi senior was 29, 471 votes---13,731 more than the what Bhavya secured.
Political analysts say dip in BJP’s victory margin clearly points towards the disenchantment of the electorate with Kuldeep Bishnoi in particular and BJP in general.
Anant Ram, Bhiwani-based retired political science professor, says the voters of Adampur still appreciate the work done by Bhajan Lal and his kin are getting benefit of it. He says Bhavya being pitted against non-Jat voters also helped the BJP in turning the tide against the Congress.
“Despite facing anger of public due to his absence... Kuldeep managed to convince voters that Congress candidate Jai Parkash is an outsider and his family has always been with them,” said Ram, adding Adampur segment witnesses divisions of votes between Bhajan Lal family and anti-Bhajan Lal family.
In 2014 assembly polls when Kuldeep Bishnoi fought as Haryana Janhit Congress nominee, his vote share was 47.1% and victory margin 17, 249 votes. During 2011 bypoll, Renuka Bishnoi (wife of Kuldeeep Bishnoi) was polled 50,276 votes, and in 2009 assembly polls, Kuldeep Bishnoi as HJC nominee had bagged 48,224 votes with 45.77% vote share, barely defeating Jai Parkash of Congress who also got 42,209 votes with 40.06% vote share.
When Kuldeep Bishnoi unfurled the banner of revolt against the Congress by voting in favour of BJP candidates in the Rajya Sabha polls and came under the wings of BJP, Bishnoi was seen as a valuable asset for the saffron party which wanted consolidation of non-Jat communities in Haryana.
Adampur assembly constituency has a dominant Jat vote-bank followed by a substantial Bishnoi population. Clearly, the verdict proves that the gamble has paid off to both-- BJP as well as the Bishnois.
