Hisar, Haryana. Oct 3 : With the Hisar Loksabha bypoll scheduled on October 13, all major candidates except that of the Congress have given written assurances to Team Anna saying they support the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal hails from Hisar, and the team appears to be quite active in promoting Anna Hazare during the poll campaign.Anna's message blares out from loudspeakers and posters carrying Anna's face are ubiquitious throughout the constituency.
The Indian Express reports that Team Anna has made the contest the first political test of its Jan Lokpal campaign. Team Anna has got three of the candidates to give in writing that they would support its version of the anti-corruption Bill in Parliament and at Standing Committee discussions. The only exception being Jai Prakash, the Congress candidate.
In this region India Against Corruption volunteers have taken over the streets — making a dash for every vehicle entering the walled city, handing out handbills, and putting stickers and badges on every person and car be they so willing. Youths on motorcycles stick their chests out to proudly sport the badges.
Slogans printed below Anna's smiling portraits declare: “Is baar Jan Lokpal ko vote, taaki bhrashtachar ki jad par lage chot (This time vote for Jan Lokpal, strike at corruption at its roots).” Volunteers sport red T-shirts or caps declaring “Main Anna hoon”, while torch-light processions and demonstrations have come to town.
Leading from the front is Rajesh Jakhar, an advocate who heads the local branch of IAC. “This is the first time we are putting to test our decision to make the Jan Lokpal Bill a poll issue,” he told The Indian Express. “This is the first phase of our drive.” The bypoll was necessitated by the death of former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal.
Jakhar claims the campaign has drawn a good response, including written assurances by candidates Kuleep Bishnoi of the BJP-Haryana Janhit Congress combine, Ajay Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal and Sudesh Agrawal of the Samast Bharatiya Party to back the IAC version of the Bill in Parliament. That followed IAC's assertion that while it would not back any candidate, it would urge people to vote only for candidates swearing to support the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Jai Prakash, fielded by the ruling Congress, has obviously ignored the issue.
“We have set the deadline for October 3, after which we would fan out in the constituency to embark on the second phase of our poll-linked drive,” Jakhar says. This would continue till October 13, polling day. IAC plans to hold public meetings to mobilise support.
The campaign has attracted a wide range of followers — quite like during the Delhi protest — from the middle and the educated class. Sanjay Brahmachari, with his matted hair and ascetic outfit, is the first to catch one's eye. A law graduate born and brought up in Ranchi, he has made Beewal village, located in Mahendragarh district of Haryana, his home. He is now the sarpanch of Beewal, winning on the strength of his campaign against corruption.
Then there is orthopaedic surgeon Dr Lalit Bansal, who has put a lucrative practice on hold to distribute handbills and paste stickers. Agricultural scientist Dr Mahavir Sharma claims the campaign has become a second passion for him after his pesticide business.
Asked if senior Team Anna members would be coming for the campaign, Jakhar said: “They have all expressed their willingness, but we would invite them on the basis of the demand of workers.” Hopefully, he adds, “Arvind Kejriwal would be back from his current vipasana (meditation) programme to lead our volunteers.”
