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Friday, Apr 09, 2004

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Voters may forget caste, vote for performance

By Rajesh Ahuja

JIND, APRIL 8. Conventional traditions which have divided people in Haryana along caste lines -- Jats and non-Jats -- may be given the go-by so far as this year's elections are concerned.

A whirlwind tour of the Jat and non-Jat dominated constituencies of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Hisar reveals that the people, who generally are very touchy about being a Jat or a non-Jat and prefer candidates belonging to their respective communities, may this time round exercise their franchise for the party or group that can deliver the goods irrespective of caste or creed. Moreover, the electoral verdict could depend to a large extent upon the image and personal influence of the candidate rather than caste considerations.

Interestingly, this scenario may upset the calculations of those leaders or parties who have basked in the glory of being either Jat or a non-Jat or even those who claim that the percentage of one community is higher than that of the other.

According to Rai Sahib Sharma, a farmer of Kurukshetra district, what would matter in the upcoming elections would be the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the people, irrespective of caste, with the present Indian National Lok Dal government which has been in power in the State for over four years now. "The voters, who are far more enlightened, than even politicians, thanks to cable television and proliferation of news channels, would also make their mind about which party to vote for based on its national importance and its policies," he said. The leadership issue, or who be the next Prime Minister, would be another deciding factor rather than parochialism and petty division along casteist lines. Of course, caste combinations and permutations could play a key role in Assembly elections which are fought on a more localized plank.

A senior advocate of Kaithal, Sudhir Mehta, said the people, affected as they were by economic and social problems, had no time to think about caste. It was the politicians who projected themselves as the "uncrowned leader of either the Jats or the non-Jats''. Basically, all communities faced similar problems and the level of services provided did not favour those belonging to that community. The right selection of candidates would have a crucial bearing on the polls, he added.

Though there is no solid pro-Vajpayee wave in Haryana, the BJP, which recently broke off ties with the Haryana Chief Minister and Indian National Lok Dal supremo, Om Prakash Chautala, is busy building up its cadre in the State and could win a couple of seats if not retain all the five seats it won in the 1999 polls if the Congress commits political hara-kiri by choosing wrong candidates.

There is perceptible resentment among a cross-section of people, particularly farmers, against the Chautala Government for its various acts of omission and commission during the last four years. They are hurt sore over the doublespeak of the Government on sensitive issues such as non-payment of electricity arrears and dues, the killing of farmers in police firing and the long incarceration of the Bharatiya Kisan Union leaders, including its supremo, Ghasi Ram Nain, on charges of sedition.

A farmer was blunt enough to say that the Congress, which had lost the sympathy of the farmers during its past tenures, could regain lost ground if the Hissar ticket was given to the former Union Minister, Jai Prakash, who was a son of the soil. He also pointed out that it was the former State Congress President, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who had lent support to the farmers' agitation.

Similar views were voiced by a large section of people that the Congress could certainly do well in Haryana, despite infighting among its top leaders, as the people needed a break from the present dispensation. Of course, the infighting, which owed its origin to the leadership struggle, could play a dominant role in the Vidhan Sabha polls, a school teacher added.

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