Congress in a tough position in Sirsa

Ashok Tanwar was handpicked by the Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi to head the Haryana unit of the party.

In the otherwise factional feud-ridden unit, he is trying to bring in some kind of professionalism in the day-to-day political management. But in Sirsa, his constituency, he faces a tough fight.

There are predictions that the 39-year-old former chief of the Youth Congress may not get a second term. It’s not just the Indian National Lok Dal, but the Haryana Janhit Congress — an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party — is also making him busy in the constituency. Tanwar, basically from Jhajjar, has a doctorate in medieval history from the Jawaharlal Nehru University. He was part of Rahul Gandhi’s efforts to ‘democratise’ the National Students Union and the Youth Congress.

His adversaries, however, are saying that proximity to Rahul Gandhi will no more win him votes.

“If Rahul Gandhi comes to Sirsa for campaigning, Tanwar will be defeated with a margin of more than one lakh votes,” says Haryana Janhit Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi.

HJC leader Sushil Indora is fielded against Tanwar. But Tanwar is less worried about the HJC. His main fight is with Charanjit Singh Rori of the INLD. “The Opposition is frustrated. They want to dislodge the Congress from power at any cost. A lot of internal hobnobbing is going on. That is why INLD has brought in a former Shiromani Akali Dal leader to fight me,” Tanwar says. Apparently, Congress is worried about the Punjabi votes in the constituency, which is close to Punjab. “I am an office bearer of the INLD. Of course, Shiromani Akali Dal is helping us in this election. After (Punjab Deputy Chief Minister) Sukhbir Singh Badal’s campaign here, Congress is facing its end,” Rori told Business Line.

Tanwar, however, pegs his campaign on the works he has done in the area. He was new to the area in 2009. He was parachuted against the wishes of the local Congress leaders and still won in the INLD stronghold with a margin of about 35,000 votes.

“Now I know the area and the people of this area know me. I feel that I have done pretty well if you compare the works of the former MPs, including a Deputy Prime Minister. I brought investment worth ₹35,000-40,000 crore in the area and this is unprecedented in the history of Sirsa,” Tanwar says. Tanwar’s promise is to make Sirsa a hub of agro-based industries. “We are the highest grower of wheat, cotton, citrus fruits and rice. We are providing them basic sanitation, electricity and enough water. The nuclear plant in Fatehabad is a landmark achievement and it will shape the entire region in terms of power generation. It will ensure that this industrially backward area will develop in future,” Tanwar said.

Tanwar says there is no wave for BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi in Sirsa.

“They don’t have any grassroot network. They don’t have any mass leader in Haryana. The euphoria and wave are being created. They don’t even have their own candidates. Now they have imported candidates from Congress,” Tanwar says.

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