Chandigarh, Sep 30 (PTI) Congress' Chander Mohan and his nephew Bhavya Bishnoi of the BJP may be contesting from rival parties and from different seats but they have one thing in common - both are banking on the legacy of former chief minister Bhajan Lal.
Mohan (59), a former four-time legislator, is the elder son of late Bhajan Lal while Bhavya Bishnoi is grandson of the ex-CM and a sitting MLA.
Mohan is contesting the October 5 Haryana assembly polls from Panchkula, where among the 10 candidates, he also faces BJP's sitting MLA and Speaker in outgoing Assembly, Gian Chand Gupta.
Bhavya, son of senior BJP leader Kuldeep Bishnoi, is seeking re-election from the Adampur constituency in Hisar district. Mohan is Kuldeep Bishnoi's elder brother.
Bhavya along with his father Kuldeep had switched over to the BJP from the Congress over two years ago. Bhavya had won the seat in the byolls about two years ago.
The Adampur bypoll had been necessitated after Kuldeep Bishnoi resigned as Congress MLA from the seat and switched to the BJP.
Adampur has been a bastion of the family of Bhajan Lal, who was a tall non-Jat leader in Haryana and enjoyed a good rapport across communities. No one outside his family has won from the seat. He represented the seat nine times while his son Kuldeep Bishnoi was legislator from the constituency on four occasions.
Campaigning in Panchkula, Mohan is confident of his and Congress party's victory, saying people want to oust the BJP from power.
The BJP did not do any work for the last ten years, says Mohan.
"During Bhajan Lal ji's time, maximum development took place in Panchkula, youth got employment while several institutions and a good road network came up," he says.
Hitting out at the BJP, Mohan says they claim Rs 5,000 crore has been spent for development works in Panchkula during their time, "but we need to know where that money has gone, no development is visible on the ground".
If elected, Mohan promises to change Panchkula's face and also effectively tackle the drug menace.
"My father's dream was to see Panchkula develop like modern cities like Paris," he said.
Back in Adampur, Bhavya has stepped up campaigning as only a few days are left for the polls.
About his grandfather Bhajan Lal, Bhavya says he was a visionary leader who changed the face of Haryana and Adampur by bringing development.
For over five decades, the people of Adampur have reposed their trust in the Bhajan Lal family, he says.
We have got so much love from the people of Adampur and it is they who fight the polls, he says.
Bhavya says after winning the Adampur seat in the bypolls, he brought development projects worth Rs 800 crore for the constituency.
Kuldeep Bishnoi terms Bhajan Lal as an institution, a visionary leader and says being his son is a matter of great pride for him.
Kuldeep and Bhavya claim that the BJP will return to power for a third consecutive term.
While campaigning in Panchkula on Sunday, former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and senior Congress leader and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja threw their weight behind Mohan.
Bansal said the BJP failed to undertake any development in Haryana during the past ten years and now people are seeking an account from them.
Unemployment is at its peak in Haryana, even as two lakh government posts are vacant, Bansal said.
During the Congress' regime, Haryana made fast progress, he said.
But under BJP Haryana has fallen behind, Bansal said. He said Haryana's debt was around Rs 70,000 crore ten years ago, "which has mounted to Rs 3.20 lakh crore and yet development is not visible".
Appealing to the people of Panchkula to make Mohan victorious, Selja said he has always kept the doors of his house open for his people.
Panchkula is mini-Haryana or even mini-India as people hailing from various parts of the country live here, she said.
Selja said the Congress is set to form the government in Haryana.
"You elect Chander Mohan and once again Panchkula will shine," she said.
Hitting out at the BJP, she said, "When they have no work to show or any development to highlight they are engaged in talking only about Congress... Why BJP changed its chief minister (M L Khattar) after nine-and-a-half years, they did so because they knew there has been total failure in governance for the last ten years." "After they brought the new face (Nayab Singh Saini), they made him fight from Karnal (in the bypolls held in May which he won) and now changed his seat (Saini is contesting October 5 polls from Ladwa now). They neither have any leadership nor any work to show," she said.
Haryana goes to polls on October 5 while results will be declared on October 8.PTI SUN DV DV