Chandigarh: Polling in all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana as well as the Karnal assembly by-election would be held on Saturday that would decide the fate of 223 candidates including big guns like former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, 2 Union ministers, two Congress ex-chiefs and three members of Chautala clan.
For record, the BJP had won all 10 Lok Sabha seats in 2019.
Chief Minister Nayab Saini is contesting the Karnal by-election; the seat was vacated by former CM Manohar Lal Khattar who is contesting the Lok Sabha seat from Karnal.
While Union ministers Rao Inderjit Singh and Krishan Pal Gurjar are contesting from Gurgaon and Faridabad seats, respectively, former state Congress chief Kumar Selja is pitted against another state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar in Sirsa.
Another keenly watched seat is Rohtak where three-time MP Deepender Singh Hooda, who is son of former two-time CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, is pitted against BJP's four-time MP Arvind Sharma. Cine actor-turned politician Raj Babbar is Congress' candidate from Gurgaon.
The contestants in Hisar include, power minister Ranjit Chautala, who is brother of tall Jat leader and Indian National Lok Dal’s (INLD's) supremo Om Prakash Chautala and Jannayak Janta Party’s (JJP’s) Naina Chautala and Sunaina Chautala, who are also from Chautala clan, and Congress’ Jai Prakash.
Among other prominent candidates is billionaire steel tycoon and philanthropist Naveen Jindal who is BJP candidate and facing Aam Aadmi Party’s businessman and philanthropist Sushil Gupta in Kurukshetra.
All the top leaders of BJP, Congress and AAP have campaigned for their candidates in Haryana. AAP is contesting only one out of 10 seats – Kurukshetra – as per its truck with Congress – both constituents of INDIA bloc, and the rest, the Congress.
IMPORTANT STATS
Total voters: 2,00,76,768
Women voters: 94,23,956
Transgender: 467
Polling station: 20,031
Urban: 5,470
Rural: 14,342
Critical booths: 3,033 (1,362 locations)
Vulnerable: 51
All women polling stations: 99 By PwD (Persons with Disabilities) employees: 71
Police personnel: Over 35,000
Home guards: 24,000
Central forces companies: 112
