Farmers to campaign against BJP-JJP nominee in Ellenabad

ROHTAK: Farmers protesting against the Centre’s three farm laws on Friday announced that they will campaign against the BJP-JJP candidate in Ellenabad bypoll, which is scheduled on October 30.

The seat fell vacant after Indian National Lok Dal’s lone MLA Abhay Singh Chautala had resigned from the Haryana assembly on January 27 in support of the ongoing agitation against the farm laws.

The decision to campaign against the BJP-JJP nominee in the bypoll was taken by farmers protesting under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) at Jind’s Khatkar toll plaza.

Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Jind district president Azad Palwan said the khaps and SKM leaders have decided to campaign against the BJP-JJP candidate in the Ellenabad bypoll.

“We will not allow the BJPJJP nominee and other party leaders to enter the villages in Ellenabad. We will not campaign in favour of anyone but will protest against the ruling government’s candidate. We will protest against the BJP-JJP nominees in zila parishad and block samiti elections,” he added.

Another farm leader Captain

Randhir Singh said farmers from across Haryana will visit the villages in Ellenabad constituency and will show black flags to the BJP-JJP leaders if they try to enter the villages.

“We want the BJP-JJP nominee to lose the election. Until the Centre’s three farm laws are repealed, we will continue to campaign against the BJP in elections anywhere in the country,” he added.

‘People are waiting to teach them a lesson’

INLD leader Abhay Chautala also stated that the voters of Ellenabad will not allow entry of BJP-JJP leaders in their villages.

“People are waiting for the BJP-JJP leaders to teach them a lesson if they enter their villages. Farmers have been protesting against three black laws for a year and are waiting to forfeit the security deposit of their candidate,” he added.

Reacting over Abhay Chautala’s comment, Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said the BJP-JJP joint nominee will be declared soon and will campaign in the Ellenabad constituency to ensure INLD candidate’s defeat.

According to the schedule announced by the EC, a notification will be issued for the bypoll on October 1 and the nomination process will start on the same day. The last date for filing nominations is October 8.

The nominations will be scrutinised on October 11 and the last date for withdrawing it is October 16.

The Ellenabad seat in Sirsa has been considered a stronghold of the INLD and had been represented by former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and his son Abhay Singh Chautala.

A few days ago, Pawan Beniwal, who was runner-up in the 2019 assembly elections from Ellenabad, switched sides from the BJP to the Congress in the presence of Congress state chief Kumari Selja.

INLD supremo OP Chautala had been accusing the state government of delaying the bypoll due to the fear of losing security deposit.

Cong seeks applications for assembly bypoll

The Haryana Congress on Friday sought applications from party leaders and workers who want to be considered for a party ticket for contesting the Ellenabad assembly bypoll.

The decision was taken during a meeting of party leaders in New Delhi on Friday.

In-charge of party affairs in Haryana, Vivek Bansal, said the last date for applying is October 4.