Chandigarh: Jind bypoll turned into high stakes battle, seen as agenda setter for 2019

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The Jind Assembly by-election on January 28 has turned into a high-stake battle with all Haryana parties taking it as a litmus test in the Lok Sabha election year. In the final Jind battle after the withdrawal of the nomination papers, it has emerged that it will be a multi-corner contest between Krishan Midha of the ruling BJP, Randeep Surjewala of the Congress, Umed Redhu of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Digvijay Chautala, an independent backed by the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP).

A win in Jind is likely to be seen by the Congress and the BJP as an indication of their popularity in the state, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls around May and Assembly polls around October.

For the BJP, the Jind contest would be a prestige battle for chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The Khattar government, which claims to have provided clean governance in the state, will get to know the mood of the people ahead of the Assembly elections. It is making an all out effort to win the bypoll.

Feuding INLD leaders Abhay Chautala and his nephew Dushyant Chautala as well as the Congress led by former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda would also be eyeing a comeback in the state.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday announced to support the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) candidate Digvijay Chautala in Jind bypoll.

AAP’s Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Gupta on Monday said that Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala had sought AAP’s support and we have decided to campaign for Digvijay in the bypoll.

Gupta said the AAP has decided to support the JJP due to the “similarities in their ideologies” and to fight the Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal who have divided the people of Haryana on the basis of religion and caste,

JJP and AAP alliance for Jind bypoll has triggered speculation that both the parties could also join hands to contest Lok Sabha polls and assembly polls  in Haryana.

Both the parties have announced to contest on 10 Lok Sabha seats and 90 seats in Haryana Assembly.

In the past, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal has showered praise on Dushyant Chautala for his ideology.