Why Cong has few worries in Haryana

The fragmented Opposition also allowed the Hooda government a comfortable rule,despite certain contentious matters. The rampant involvement of the state police in crime,the open flouting of authority by the khap panchayats,acute power shortage and instances involving industrial violence were all major issues which find only muted references in Opposition parties’ campaigns which are largely centered around inflation.

Opposition parties apart,even the voter appears to be largely forgiving of the Congress government’s inadequacies. The Congress’s vote share in the 2009 General Elections in Haryana was 41 per cent,marginally less than the 42.46 per cent it scored in the 2005 Assembly elections. This also exposes the fallibility of the claim that the BSP could eat into the Congress vote share. The BSP improved its vote share from 3.44 per cent in the 2005 Assembly polls to 16 per cent in the recent LS elections,but its rise seems to have adversely affected the Chautalas. INLD has failed to win any seat in two consecutive LS elections,and has seen its vote share dipping from 23 per cent to 16 per cent. 

As an observer says,“The voter isn’t oblivious of the shortcomings of the Hooda government. But he is discerning enough to evaluate his options and feels that Hooda’s rule is much better when compared to that of others.” The reference is to the high crime rate when Om Prakash Chautala was the chief minister from 1999-2004.

Chautala’s unpopular style also facilitated Hooda’s access to the INLD’s traditional vote bank — the Jat community. Hooda is himself a Jat and when he points to the substantial increases in the MSP during his tenure,the start of development projects in the interiors of the state,the appreciation in land prices,the Jat community — which constitutes around one-fourth of state’s total population — takes notice. 

For a long time,Haryana’s politics has been synonymous with three Lals. Two of them,Bansi Lal and Devi Lal,have died. The third,Bhajan Lal,is too feeble in terms of health and political influence. Devi Lal’s grandsons Ajay Chautala and Abhay Chautala lost their previous elections. Bansi Lal’s daughter-in-law,Kiran Choudhary has her influence largely limited to the Bhiwani area. Bhajan Lal’s elder son,Chander Mohan is still grappling with a much publicised scandal over his second marriage to Fiza.