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Amit Bathla
Tribune News Service
Panchkula, October 20
Though the poll battle revolves around two main contenders — BJP’s Gain Chand Gupta and Congress’ Chander Mohan — lesser-known candidates believe they have a chance to win.
The election figures of the last two Assembly elections — 2009 and 2014 — suggest that lesser-known candidates, particularly Independents, had a hard time in winning elections. As many as 17 candidates were in the fray from Panchkula in the last Assembly elections. Of them, the security deposit of 15 candidates was forfeited, while winner Gian Chand Gupta (BJP) and runner-up Kul Bhushan Goyal (INLD) managed to save their security deposit.
Similarly, 12 candidates, including four women, had contested the 2014 Assembly elections from Kalka, of which 10 lost their security deposit.
The 2009 election data isn’t very impressive too with regard to electoral performance of not so popular candidates.
However, MLA candidates in the race from Panchkula such as Suresh Kumar (Sarva Hit Party), Mukhtiar Singh (Independent), Sunita (Independent), Manoj Kumar (Rashtriya Janata Party), Rahul Kumar Sharma (Janral Samaj Party) believe they have a chance to win.
On the other hand, Independent candidate Gurtej Singh has decided to support Congress candidate Chander Mohan.
Rahul Kumar Sharma of the Janral Samaj Party said, “I am 100 per cent hopeful that I will give a tough fight to the BJP and the Congress candidates. We got a lot of support while campaigning in villages and colonies of Panchkula.”
“Everybody contests elections to win. Nobody would say that he would lose. I got positive response from people throughout my campaigning. From villagers to labourers, everyone came out to support me,” Rashtriya Janata Party candidate from Panchkula Manoj Kumar said.
Independent candidate to support Cong contender
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