Haryana Seat Sharing: AAP banks on its Punjab power as it gears up to battle BJP in Kurukshtera

The Lok Sabha constituency covers entire Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts and parts of Yamunanagar district of Haryana. Both Kurukshetra and Kaithal share border with Punjab, a state where the AAP is in power.

“Since they [AAP] have a government in Punjab, they think they will have an edge. The alliance will strongly back their candidate,” said senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, adding,“Actually, AAP was asking for three seats that touch Punjab border. These included Ambala and Sirsa too. Both are reserved seats. They eventually got Kurukshetra”.

AAP Haryana president Sushil Gupta too confirmed as much. “Yes, it is correct that we wanted Ambala, Sirsa and Kurukshetra because all three touch Punjab borders. Kurukshetra borders Patiala district and we have a strong government in Punjab. Sharing borders with a state where we have a robust government definitely gives us an edge”.

Incidentally, the two constituents of the INDIA bloc have no alliance for Lok Sabha polls in Punjab. Senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik, talking to reporters in Delhi, said that given the “special circumstances” that exist in Punjab, the AAP and the Congress have decided to fight the Lok Sabha polls separately in the state.

In 2019, BJP’s Saini, who contested the Lok Sabha polls for the first time form Kurukshetra, had secured nearly 56 per cent vote share, and defeated his nearest rival, Congress’ Nirmal Singh, by a margin of over 3.8 lakh votes.

AAP, however, says it is ready to take the battle to BJP in Kurukshetra. “We will defeat him [Saini] there,” said Gupta, adding, “A strong alliance has been formed…BJP is totally scared because of this alliance…this election is for the restoration of democracy…this election is to protect the constitutional bodies of the country”.

Hooda had earlier said that Congress was capable of winning all 10 seats in Haryana. “Yes, it is correct that Congress is fully capable of contesting all 10 seats in Haryana. But, whenever an alliance takes place, mutual benefits and interest of the nation are kept in mind. When two parties join hands, it definitely gives an edge. Give and take happens when seat sharing takes place in an alliance,” Hooda told The Indian Express.

Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency comprises nine Assembly segments. Of these, BJP had won four including Thanesar (Subhash Sudha), Pehowa (Sandeep Singh), Kalayat (Kamlesh Dhanda) and Kaithal (Leela Ram) in 2019 Assembly polls. BJP’s ally JJP had won two seats — Shahbad (Ram Karan) and Guhla (Ishwar Singh). Pundri is represented by Randhir Singh Gollen who contested as Independent and subsequently supported BJP, while Congress had won the remaining two seats – Radaur (Bishan Lal Saini) and Ladwa (Mewa Singh).

As per 2011 Census, 17.47 per cent population of Kurukshetra speak Punjabi. Members of the Scheduled Castes comprise over 22 per cent of the total population of the district.

BJP had first won from Kurukshetra in 2014 when Raj Kumar Saini defeated his nearest rival, INLD’s Balbir Saini, by a margin of over 1.2 lakh votes, while Congress’ then sitting two-term MP Naveen Jindal had finished third. In 2019, Raj Kumar quit BJP following which party fielded Nayab Saini.

Prior to Jindal, INLD’s Kailasho Devi had won the seat in 1998 and 1999. Jindal’s father Om Prakash Jindal had won from Kurukshetra in 1996 on a ticket of Haryana Vikas Party.

In February this year, Haryana Governor and Kurukshetra Development Board’s chairman Bandaru Dattatreya had said that the state government should formulate better plans to put Kurukshetra on the world map. “Maintaining the dignity, an action plan should be chalked out for Kurukshetra on the lines of Varanasi, in which the illustration of the idols of Mahabharata war characters can be seen around Brahm Sarovar”, the Governor had said.

Kurukshetra MLA Subhash Sudha had earlier said developmental projects amounting to Rs 4,000 crore have been implemented in Kurukshetra.

Haryana government and Kurukshetra Development Board are in the process of developing 164 pilgrimage sites within a 48-mile radius of the district.

Kurukshetra is considered as the holy land where Krishna spoke to Arjuna. In July this year, Khattar launched the “Sampoorna Gita Pravachan Amrit Varsha programme” at Akhand Gita Peeth Shaswat Seva Ashram Trust in Kurukshetra. He also announced Rs 11 lakh from his discretionary fund for the social service.