Soldier vs cop makes Narnaund poll contest interesting

KHANDA KHERI (Narnaund): There is a pitched poll battle between two candidates belonging to the uniformed services in Narnaund assembly segment of Haryana where BJP's Capt Abhimanyu Singh and INLD's Raj Singh Mor, a retired superintendent of police (SP), are pitted against each other.
Banking on BJP's Modi wave, Abhimanyu is playing the "Narnaund ki Chaudhar (supremacy of Narnaund)" card, indicating that he may get an opportunity to rule the state, if BJP is voted to power in Haryana.
In his native Khanda Kheri village, the captain makes an emotional appeal. "The Chaudhar of entire state is waiting at your doorstep. Don't miss this opportunity, otherwise next generations won't forgive you," he remarked while addressing his supporters, who waited for him for three hours on Tuesday afternoon.
Abhimanyu even cited the example of Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi constituency where the locals had voted for Bhupinder Singh Hooda in 2005 on the slogan of "Rohtak ki Chaudhar." "The constituency of chief minister gets priority in development works," said the BJP leader, who had cleared UPSC civil services exams in 1994, after his retirement from the Army. However, he did not join civil service, preferring to look after family business.
"Roads would be repaired after finalization of my tour programme. Teachers would automatically reach the village. Otherwise, a 'fauji' (soldier) like me would suspend them immediately," said Captain Abhimanyu amid cheers from supporters.
In the past few years, Abhimanyu has emerged as the Jat leader in BJP, to the discomfiture of established leaders from his community in other political parties of Haryana. A senior Jat leader had even announced that he would quit politics, if Abhimanyu won the election from Narnaund.
However, his supporters in Khanda Kheri believe that if BJP forms government in Haryana, Abhimanyu would be given an opportunity to become the CM. As he stepped out of his SUV, Abhimanyu's supporters shouted on the mike, "Bhaiyo, mukhyamantri Captain pahunch gaye hain (Brothers, the chief minister has reached the venue)."
Many in the area believe that Abhimanyu's projection by his supporters as the CM candidate has made the poll battle interesting with even BJP chief Amit Shah stating that they had sent Captain to the state from Delhi to lead the people of Haryana. However, BJP has made it clear that the decision about the CM would be taken only after poll results.
Meanwhile, Mor is unimpressed with Captain's dreams and claimed that Narnaund is a stronghold of Chautalas. "The constituency already belongs to INLD since Dushyant Chautala is the Lok Sabha MP from here," said Mor, 60.
Asked who is his nearest rival, Mor said, "There is just one competition from here and INLD would win by a bigger margin - be it Narnaund or Uchana Kalan." INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala's grandson Dushyant is contesting the assembly election from Uchana Kalan.
In the 2009 assembly polls, Mor's wife Saroj Mor had defeated Captain Abhimanyu by a margin of 10,000-plus votes. Many in Narnaund feel that due to caste polarization between Jats and non-Jats, independent candidate and former BJP MLA from Narnaund, Ram Kumar Gautam, may prove a strong candidate. Congress contestant Rajbir Sandhu and HJC nominee Neelam Sihag also Jats, apart from INLD and BJP candidates in Narnaund, which has around 50% of the total 1.87 lakh voters from the community.