6 Bhajan Lals crowd Adampur bypolls

HISAR: These days, the streets of Adampur constituency are lined with huge posters of not one, but six Bhajan Lals. Giving 'competition' to the veteran politico - Bhajan Lal of Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) - are five independent candidates who share his name.
But how serious are these namesakes about making a mark in political circles? Sources say the five have filed their nominations at the instance of a serious candidate in order to confuse the supporters of the former CM.However, the move may not work, given the fact that the name of the former chief minister figures in the first unit of the voting machine, while the others are in the
second unit.
To lend clarity, the EVMs mention the father's name of all Bhajan Lals. While the election symbol of HJC (BL) candidate Bhajan Lal is an electric pole, the others have table lamp, blackboard, bread, brick and briefcase as their symbols. Unperturbed, former CM and HJC (BL) nominee Bhajan Lal said, "Congress and INLD are doing this out of frustration as they stare defeat in the face. It will not make any difference to the results."
However, Congress and INLD leaders denied the allegations and called them baseless. Though the political party that has engineered the nominations of five Bhajan Lals may want to baffle the voters with its move, the people seem bemused with this latest political jugglery. Meanwhile, Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) candidate Bhajan Lal faces stiff competition from INLD candidate Sampat Singh and Congress candidate Ranjit Singh. As many as 41 candidates, including Raghwanand of BJP and Prabhat Singh of the CPM, are in the fray.
While the candidates of all major political parties are said to be serious contenders, most of the independents have been fielded by them to increase the number of their polling and counting agents.