Hisar: It is perhaps one of the most closely-watched by-elections in recent times. Counting of votes has begun and after Team Anna's high-decibel campaign against the Congress, results for the Hisar Lok Sabha by-election will be known today.
In the early rounds, Kuldeep Bishnoi of the Janhit Congress is leading by an easy margin, Ajay Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is second and the Congress' Jai Prakash is holding his 2009 position as a distant third.
But India is not watching this election as much for who will be the new Hisar MP as because this is Anna Hazare and his associates' first tryst with electoral politics. Even though Mr Hazare wasn't physically present in Hisar, he sent out a tough video message, urging people to vote against the Congress for not bringing in the Jan Lokpal Bill
Civil society activists led by Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi launched an aggressive and extensive anti-Congress campaign, dubbing it as a "government of the corrupt".
A largely local election thus turned into a high-profile battleground and Hisar will be a litmus test for Team Anna to see if its impact goes beyond the Ramlila Ground, where thousands had supported Anna Hazare's 13-day fast. For the Congress, forced to rope in Chief Ministers of two neighbouring states to try and win a seat they haven't won since 2004, it is a matter of saving face.
Politically, it is a straight three-cornered contest for a seat where the Congress' showing has been nothing to write home about in recent times. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Bhajan Lal of the Janhit Congress won the seat; the Congress' Jai Prakash came in third. Bhajan Lal's death this June necessitated the election and his son Kuldeep Bishnoi is considered to have an advantage over his rivals.
A consolidation of the anti-Jat vote is likely to help Mr Bishnoi, who said today that Team Anna was no factor at all. He said he saw this as a straight contest between Mr Chautala and him. "Team Anna has to decide, are they against corruption or are they against the Congress." Mr Chautala of the INLD had a chargesheet against him, so why was Team Anna indirectly supporting him, Mr Bishnoi asked.
Mr Chautala, whose father Om Prakash Chautala has served as the state's Chief Minister, is expected to give Mr Bishnoi stiff competition.
The Congress has again fielded Jai Prakash as its candidate; he enjoys the confidence of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Hit by the Anna blitzkrieg, Jai Prakash has protested strongly saying he is hurt and the people are angry with the anti-Congress campaign. "Anna Hazare's movement will fail because he has lost his way. Look at the way Prashant Bhushan has been beaten, (Arvind) Kejriwal will face similar consequences for the way he has created politics in Hisar and has spoken against Congress."
The Congress has reacted sharply at all levels. The party accused Anna Hazare of inadvertently benefitting its political rivals in the polls. The party's General Secretary Digvijaya Singh wrote an open letter to Mr Hazare saying, "Are you not aware of the history of the family of late Bhajan Lal? Are you not acquainted with the history of Chautala family? Are you oblivious of the fact that there were cases of corruption pending against them in courts?"
Mr Singh further said that people close to the veteran Gandhian were exploiting his image for their gain.
The by-election held on October 13 had witnessed a turnout of nearly 70 per cent.
In the early rounds, Kuldeep Bishnoi of the Janhit Congress is leading by an easy margin, Ajay Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is second and the Congress' Jai Prakash is holding his 2009 position as a distant third.
But India is not watching this election as much for who will be the new Hisar MP as because this is Anna Hazare and his associates' first tryst with electoral politics. Even though Mr Hazare wasn't physically present in Hisar, he sent out a tough video message, urging people to vote against the Congress for not bringing in the Jan Lokpal Bill
Civil society activists led by Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi launched an aggressive and extensive anti-Congress campaign, dubbing it as a "government of the corrupt".
A largely local election thus turned into a high-profile battleground and Hisar will be a litmus test for Team Anna to see if its impact goes beyond the Ramlila Ground, where thousands had supported Anna Hazare's 13-day fast. For the Congress, forced to rope in Chief Ministers of two neighbouring states to try and win a seat they haven't won since 2004, it is a matter of saving face.
Politically, it is a straight three-cornered contest for a seat where the Congress' showing has been nothing to write home about in recent times. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Bhajan Lal of the Janhit Congress won the seat; the Congress' Jai Prakash came in third. Bhajan Lal's death this June necessitated the election and his son Kuldeep Bishnoi is considered to have an advantage over his rivals.
A consolidation of the anti-Jat vote is likely to help Mr Bishnoi, who said today that Team Anna was no factor at all. He said he saw this as a straight contest between Mr Chautala and him. "Team Anna has to decide, are they against corruption or are they against the Congress." Mr Chautala of the INLD had a chargesheet against him, so why was Team Anna indirectly supporting him, Mr Bishnoi asked.
Mr Chautala, whose father Om Prakash Chautala has served as the state's Chief Minister, is expected to give Mr Bishnoi stiff competition.
The Congress has again fielded Jai Prakash as its candidate; he enjoys the confidence of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Hit by the Anna blitzkrieg, Jai Prakash has protested strongly saying he is hurt and the people are angry with the anti-Congress campaign. "Anna Hazare's movement will fail because he has lost his way. Look at the way Prashant Bhushan has been beaten, (Arvind) Kejriwal will face similar consequences for the way he has created politics in Hisar and has spoken against Congress."
The Congress has reacted sharply at all levels. The party accused Anna Hazare of inadvertently benefitting its political rivals in the polls. The party's General Secretary Digvijaya Singh wrote an open letter to Mr Hazare saying, "Are you not aware of the history of the family of late Bhajan Lal? Are you not acquainted with the history of Chautala family? Are you oblivious of the fact that there were cases of corruption pending against them in courts?"
Mr Singh further said that people close to the veteran Gandhian were exploiting his image for their gain.
The by-election held on October 13 had witnessed a turnout of nearly 70 per cent.
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