Ellenabad bypoll: Tough task ahead for BJP candidate Gobind Kanda

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, October 16

BJP candidate Gobind Kanda faces an uphill task in the Ellenabad byelection amid the prevailing resentment among the farmers on the issue of farm laws.

Poll code ‘violated’, INLD writes to EC

Hisar: The INLD submitted a complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer, ‘accusing’ BJP candidate Gobind Kanda of violating the poll code at the behest of the govt. State INLD chief Nafe Rathi said during campaigning, Kanda was creating fear among voters as he was accompanied with a convoy, in violation of the EC norms. He said such misuse of the govt to promote the interests of a particular candidate was violation of the poll code.

New to Ellenabad, Kanda had previously fought two elections from Rania Assembly segment as a candidate of the Haryana Lokhit Party, floated by his brother Gopal Kanda.

The BJP, however, nominated him as a candidate within a couple of days of his joining the party. “The decision to field him speaks volumes of the party’s strength or weakness in Ellenabad, especially after Pawan Beniwal ditched the party. Pawan had contested the 2019 and the 2014 polls on the BJP ticket and posed a good fight against INLD leader Abhay Chautala,” said a political observer. Pawan is now a candidate of the Congress.

With the might of coalition of BJP-JJP behind him, he, along with his brother Gopal Kanda (Sirsa MLA), is leaving no stone unturned to match up rivals Abhay Singh Chautala of the INLD and Pawan Beniwal of the Congress.

For Kanda, tackling protests by farmers during his campaign is a tough challenge. He remained in a ring of personal security and was accompanied by a cavalcade of the police and paramilitary personnels due to the protests.

Rakesh Kamboj of Kesupura said the farmers’ issue would play a key role in the outcome of the bypoll. “People have the right to stage peaceful protests to raise their issues. The anti-incumbency and anti-farmers sentiments will cost the ruling coalition dearly in the bypoll,” he said.

On the other hand, another villager Naresh Kumar of Dhani Jattan said Kanda was given a warm reception in his village. “The protests seem to be staged at the behest of rival candidates,” he said.

However, the political experts said the rival candidates were raking up the controversies surrounding Gobind’s elder brother Gopal Kanda in the bypoll. “Besides, Ellenabad is a new segment for him. While definitely, farmers’ resentment too will hurt him,” said an expert.

“Electoral management and the use of resources at their disposal too cannot be ignored in the campaign. Besides, the state has its performance and popularity at stake here. A defeat in Ellenabad will hurt the party (BJP) more than the candidate (Kanda). However, if it wins, the BJP will try to change the whole discourse surrounding farmers’ agitation,” commented an expert.