Haryana Election 2024: ‘Take money from all, vote for us,’ AAP candidate Kuldeep Chhikara creates buzz in Bahadurgarh

At a campaign rally in Bahadurgarh on October 2, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Kuldeep Chhikara surprised everyone by urging people to take money from all political parties, but vote for the Arvind Kejriwal-led party only.

“If any candidate offers you money, take it. It's your money. But vote for AAP. We aren't offering any money,” Chhikara told a crowd of people along the roadshow route from Brigadier Hoshiyar Singh stadium towards AAP office in Bahadurgarh in poll-bound Haryana.

Sixty-six-year old Chhikara is fighting a multi-cornered contest in Bahadurgarh seat voting along with 89 other seats of Haryana Assembly on October 5.

The Congress has fielded its Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Rajinder Singh Joon from the seat while Dinesh Kaushik, younger brother of former MLA Naresh Kaushik, is the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate.

“Do a thorough analysis of all candidates in Bahadurgarh, then if you find me up to the mark, vote for me,” Chhikara told voters, emphasising why the party is important. Chhikara has been associated with the Congress for over three decades before joining the AAP two-and-a-half years ago.

Infighting in BJP, Congress

The contest in Bahadurgarh seat is interesting. Congress candidate Rajinder Singh Joon of the won the seat in 2019, 2009 and 2005. BJP's Naresh Kaushik won the seat in 2014. Both the parties have had issues here.

The Congress faced rebellion as party leader Rajesh Joon, whose candidature was ignored from Bahadurgarh, quit the party on September 7, and announced to fight as an independent.

The BJP too has had its share of problems. Former MLA Naresh Kaushik burst into tears earlier this month after the party denied him ticket and fielded his younger brother Dinesh Kaushik from Bahadurgarh. The former MLA alleged that his younger brother was an ‘arrogant’ person and he even did not call him after getting the ticket.

Polling in Haryana will take place on October 5 while the counting of votes for the elections to the 90-member assembly will take place on October 8. In the 2019 assembly polls, the Congress had 31 MLAs, but later on, party legislator Bhavya Bishnoi joined the BJP and is a legislator from the ruling party.

Anti-incumbency, yet unpredictable

Local AAP workers believe that their candidate has an edge over others since there is a strong anti-incumbency against legislator Rajinder Singh Joon who many allege behaves like a political tourist, and is is the least visible in his area.

Many say that his proximity with the Nehru Gandhi family is the sole reason behind his candidature despite a strong opposition from other senior party leaders. Yet, the seat remains unpredictable.

“People trust Arvind Kejriwal's guarantee because he does what he says. This crowd is by and for the common man. These are the people who want to educate their kids, give them a better life,” said Sanjeev Jha, AAP National Spokesperson and Delhi MLA who campaigned for Chhikara

“People here are fed up with corruption, inefficiency and jumlas. The voters are looking for an alternate,” said an AAP worker. “The BJP-sponsored independents are fighting to divide vote,” she said.

Among the issues in this seat include lack of drinking water, traffic woes, lack of basic amenities, to name a few.

AAP has promised to follow Delhi model in Haryana which includes free electricity, free bus rides for women, financial support for women and female students for higher education, among other promises