Congress frustrated over delay in Karnal candidate seat

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">KARNAL: Frustration is writ large on the faces of Congressmen in Karnal parliamentary constituency because of delay on part of Congress High Command to announce its candidate from their seat. <br /><br />Union State Home Minister I D Swami, re-nominated from Karnal Parliamentary seat, had started his campaign much in advance over 20 days back in anticipation of his candidature.<br /><br />Swami told <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">TNN </span>that he had already toured about 50 villages to revive his contacts with voters and workers. There is no gain saying that road to parliament is full of pitfalls for Swami, but divided congress house in shambles could benefit him. <br /><br />Congress here is divided in three main groups lead by Bhajan Lal, B S Hooda and Virender Singh. Besides, there are wheels within wheels and number of sub-groups at local level who are ready to change loyalties at fall of an eyelid. Congress also lacks credible leader here who could ride on peoples disenchantment with Chautala government. <br /><br />There is no Brahmin leader with charismatic personality who could row the Congress boat to the shores. As Karnal has been labeled as a Brahmin dominated constituency, every Brahmin with a little following is ready to jump in fray. The newly floated Ekta Shakti had already announced Raj Kumar Sharma as its candidate. <br /><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br />HVP has also chosen Ram Chander Jhangra a lowly categorized Brahmin community with eyes on Brahmin votes. BJP''S ID Swami is also a Brahmin. Three groups of Congress here are also projecting R C Sharma a Former CBI Director, Avinash Palliwal and Kuldeep Sharma son of Chiranji Lal - four times MP from Karnal as their choice. Each party has kept its eyes glued to about 1.30 lac Brahmin Voters. <br /><br />Another dilemma of Congress is that none amongst its projected candidates is a grass root level worker. The Congress party had already lost much of its constituency of voter amongst Brahmins, Banias, Punjabis, Balmikis, Scheduled Castes and tribe and Rajputs as well as Rors. Congress had its traditional vote bank of about 2.6 lac voters out of a total of 12 lac votes in Karnal Parliamentary constituency. <br /><br />Congress vote bank has considerably shrunk. Another disparaging factor is that dominating castes of Sikhs, Jats and Rors are no longer outspoken supporters of Congress its main stray could be Urban Punjabi voters who are upset with the acts of Chautala Government and the BJP’S ‘feel Good’ factor has not as yet swayed them. Difficulties of Congress will increase manifold if Bahujan Samaj Party also puts its candidate from here. <br /><br />Any Congress candidate will have to contend with factionalism within groups and sub-groups of the party. As far the BJP, Union State Home Minister had to do much explaining to voters. Main grouse against him that during his 4 years tenure he did not return back to his voters. <br /><br />At personal level voters are upset that not much employment was generated at local level even though Swami claims that he got over 10,000 crore refinery project in Panipat. He also got stops of Jan Shatabadi, Sach Khand Express and Malwa Express at Karnal railway Station which earlier was not there. But Swami is trapped when voters talk of Railway over bridge on Kachwa Road, four over bridges on GT Road bye pass and numerous other problems. Swami’s boat will be tilted the moment INLD led By Chautala announces its candidate. <br /><br />Every time INLD or earlier parties led by Late Devi Lal had put up its candidates from Karnal, its candidate have invariably polled votes between 1.10 lakh and 1.40 lakh. The million dollars for Swami is from where he would compensate a loss of 1.50 lakh votes. In last election INLD had supported BJP. The latest political schism in two political allies of past could damage BJP here. <br /><br /><formid=367815></formid=367815></div> </div>