In keen Sirsa battle, Selja seizes on farm rage, unemployment, as Tanwar plays Modi card
The Sirsa Lok Sabha constituency in Haryana is witnessing a fierce contest between two former state Congress chiefs, Kumari Selja and Ashok Tanwar.
The Sirsa belt has often been in the news over the past decade due to its association with religious leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
Both Selja and Tanwar have represented Sirsa as the Congress MPs in the past. Tanwar had been the Congress nominee from Sirsa since 2009, having won in 2009 and lost twice, in 2014 to then INLD’s Charanjit Singh Rori, and in 2019 to the BJP’s Sunita Duggal. This year, while Tanwar is fighting on a BJP ticket, Selja, who had cut her teeth in electoral politics by winning Sirsa in 1991 and again in 1996, is back in the constituency, representing the Congress, having lost to the BJP’s Rattan Lal Kataria from Ambala in 2019.
The electoral battle in Sirsa seems to be evenly poised, with BJP MLAs representing two of its nine Assembly segments — Fatehabad and Ratia. The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which represents Narwana and Tohana, recently cut off ties with the BJP-led state government, although its two MLAs in Sirsa are supporting the BJP, along with the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP)’s MLA from Sirsa Assembly, while the lone Independent MLA — from Rania Assembly segment — has joined the BJP and is contesting from the Hisar Lok Sabha seat.
On the other hand, the Congress represents two Assembly segments, Kalanwali and Dabwali, while Ellenabad is represented by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).
Both Selja and Tanwar are actively campaigning across the length and breadth of the constituency, with each addressing about 20-25 public meetings daily. While Tanwar, who is relying on his old connect with the constituency backed by the BJP’s massive party cadre and logistical support, Selja is contesting on her own strength while even facing the Congress infighting in the state, all of whose 10 seats are going to polls in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 25.
The narratives in both the leaders’ campaigns are also poles apart. While Tanwar begins his address with “Bharat Mata ki jai”, Selja is introduced on the stage as the daughter or sister of the constituency, who is making a comeback to the seat.
These days Tanwar, who had early into his campaign faced the anger of farmer protesters in several villages of Sirsa and Fatehabad districts, both part of Sirsa Lok Sabha constituency, is campaigning with a bus full of Haryana Police personnel ahead of his SUV motorcade. The Haryana Police bus reaches the venue of his public meeting before his arrival to prevent any local protests.
Accompanied by the BJP’s former state chief and current Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, Tanwar in his campaign is citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the nation and other BJP pledges and slogans, including the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, “Sabka saath sabka vikas” and Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. He is also pinning his hopes on the upcoming campaigning by top BJP leaders including UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
In contrast, Selja is leading her own campaign. Accompanied by her supporters and those of Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhry and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala, Selja begins her day at about 7.30 am and ends by midnight.
“Did you all get the Rs 15 lakh that PM Modi promised? How many in your village have got government jobs? How many of you have got houses as the government claims? Aren’t all of you facing the brunt of this price rise, the LPG cylinder that the government promised for Rs 400 that is now available at Rs 1,100? Enough of the BJP’s fake promises. The time has come for all of you to vote for Congress. We need to collectively save the Constitution to save ourselves, our future generations,” Selja tells people in several villages, including Saravpur, Bodivali, Mahuwala, Banmandori and Peelimandori.
“All 36 communities (chhatis biraadari) are unhappy with this government. Farmers were expecting prosperity, youths wanted jobs, the poor wanted facilities, but none of them got anything. What everybody got was unemployment, price rise and corruption. The disparity between the rich and the poor has been increasing. The PM is working only for the interest of a few capitalists,” Selja alleges while speaking to The Indian Express.
“In 2019, the government had assured farmers it would double their income. What did the farmers get? Bullets were fired at them when they sought justice. Over 700 died in the struggle against the three farm laws. Is this what this government calls ‘acche din’?” she says.
In 2019, the BJP had won all 10 seats by huge margins, including by over 3 lakh votes in Sirsa. Selja, however, says “This time, there is no Balakot (strike). The BJP can’t expect the same result this time. People have started questioning it on its promises, which they never fulfilled. Congress, on the other hand has always supported a people's agenda and not Hindu-Muslim polarisation or the politics of mangalsutra that the PM is playing. It is not going to get them votes this time,” Selja claims.
Ashok Tanwar and Subhash Barala are seeking votes in Modi’s name. On the “party-hopper” charge against him, Tanwar tells The Indian Express, “People are telling me that I got very late in quitting the party (Congress). Woh khao piyo logon ki party hai (a party of the corrupt).”
Tanwar left the AAP to join the BJP in January this year. He had earlier been even with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for a brief period.
Comparing the BJP and Congress agendas, Tanwar adds, “Who says, people are unemployed. In every Haryana village, people have got jobs on merit. All such families who have got their livelihood due to the government’s transparent recruitment policies are today supporting us and the BJP. The Congress can neither compete with us on national nor local issues. It is a major flaw with the Congress. When they are confronted on national issues, they go to local issues and vice-versa.”
“Narendra Modi is our leader and people love him. They trust him, they know he is the one who can improve their lives and take our nation to new heights. Congress has none who can match his stature,” Tanwar adds.
Selja begs to differ. “Rahul Gandhi’s two Yatras were an unprecedented example of how a leader should connect with the people on ground. No other leader, not even the PM, has ever had that kind of connect with the people. BJP only has one face, Congress has the able leadership of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and several others,” she says.
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