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Over 76% voter turnout in Adampur bypoll
According to election officials, of the 171, 754 voters, 131,401 which is 76.51% have cast their vote in Adampur. The result of the bypoll would be announced on November 6.
: Over 76% voters exercised their franchise in the keenly watched Adampur bypoll on Thursday that sealed the fate of Bhavya Bishnoi, BJP candidate and scion of the Bhajan Lal family, in a close contest with Congress and other parties.
According to election officials, of the 171, 754 voters, 131,401 which is 76.51% have cast their vote in Adampur.
The result of the bypoll would be announced on November 6.
Polling across 180 booths, including 36 sensitive and 39 hypersensitive booths, was held from 7 am to 6 pm.
“Polling went off peacefully,” Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal told PTI.
Bhavya is contesting from the assembly seat to save his family’s stronghold as they have been undefeated from this seat since 1968 and have won three bypolls from here.
The BJP candidate, who is out on bail in a case of black money (undisclosed foreign income and assets) and imposition of tax act, is pitted against Congress’ Jai Parkash, INLD’s Kurda Ram Nambardar and Satinder Singh of the Aam Aadmi party.
The bypoll was necessitated after Bhavya’s father Kuldeep Bishnoi resigned as MLA and switched sides from the Congress to the BJP.
Bishnoi family, Kurda Ram and Satinder Singh among early voters
BJP leader Kuldeep Bishnoi along with his mother Jasma Devi, wife Renuka and son Bhavya were among the voters who turned up early at Adampur village polling booth and cast their vote.
INLD candidate Kurda Ram Namberdar along with his family cast his vote at his native village Balsamand and AAP nominee Satinder Singh cast his vote at Neoli Khurd village.
After casting his vote, Kuldeep Bishnoi said the voters will give a chance to Bhavya and their family has deep attachment with voters of Adampur.
“I am confident that people will shower blessings on Bhavya and we are expecting a thumping majority,” he added.
Congress candidate Jai Parkash said that he is getting more support from voters than he received in 2009.
“The Bishnoi family wants to shift abroad and their aspirations will be fulfilled by Adampur voters by electing Congress. The voters will shake the arrogance of BJP and Kuldeep Bishnoi,” he added.
Two outsiders arrested
The police have arrested two persons hailing from Rohtak at Gursal village in Adampur. Police officials said that since the entry of outsiders was banned, they have arrested two persons along with their Brezza car and both were being questioned.
An advocate Rakesh alleged that a former sarpanch’s son Sanjay Dani and his cousin beat him up outside the polling booth in Adampur and threatened him with dire consequences.
Hisar police spokesman Vikas Kumar said they have asked Rakesh to file a complaint against the accused and then the issue was resolved.
The police have also arrested a man who tried to give ₹ 3,000 to a female voter to influence her at Daroli village in the wee hours on Thursday.
Do-or-die for Bishnoi family
The outcome of the Adampur bypoll is more significant for the Bishnoi family than the Congress and BJP.
Retired political science professor Anant Ram said the outcome of this bypoll will decide the political future of the Bishnoi family, particularly Bhavya.
“The results of the Adampur bypoll are more important for Kuldeep Bishnoi and his son Bhavya, who forfeited his security deposit during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The drawback for Bhavya was that he even trailed in Adampur constituency in the parliamentary polls. If he wins, he can get political wings and defeat for him is likely to be a big hurdle in his political career. The Bishnoi family had never imagined that they would face such a neck-to-neck contest when Kuldeep resigned as MLA,” Anant Ram added.
He said the results of the bypoll will depict the popularity of Bhupinder Singh Hooda outside the Deswali belt and Udai Bhan’s influence over SC voters.
“If Congress wins or loses from a close margin, Hooda will be able to tell his rivals within the party that he has more acceptance across the state. BJP state leadership has a win-win situation. If BJP wins, their tally would rise to 41 and if Bhavya loses, the defeat would be of his and his father Kuldeep and not of BJP because the saffron party never secured victory from here,” he added.
BJP lost both bypolls since 2019
After forming the government in 2019, the ruling BJP-JJP alliance in the state faced defeat in both the earlier bypolls in Baroda and Ellenabad. The alliance would try to break the bypoll jinx this time.
