Hot seat-Meham: In Jat heartland, Dangi, Kundu locked in multi-cornered fight

The Jat-dominated Meham assembly segment, which hit the headlines following violence during a bypoll in the 1990 that led to the killing of an Independent nominee, is again hogging the limelight due to the multi-cornered contest and frequent changing political alignment.
Veteran Congress leader and four-time former lawmaker Anand Singh Dangi has passed on the electoral baton to his son, Balram Dangi, who is facing tough contest from Independent lawmaker Balraj Kundu, who floated the Haryana Jansewak Party, rebel BJP leader Shamsher Singh Kharkara’s wife Radha Ahlawat and BJP’s Deepak Hooda, former Indian kabaddi team captain.
In the 2019 assembly polls, Anand Singh Dangi had lost to Kundu by a margin of 12,047 votes and now his son Balram is eying to avenge his father’s defeat.
While addressing a gathering at Mokhra village in Meham, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Meham constituency remains at the forefront in changing the government in Haryana and urged voters to elect young face, Balram from here.
“This is my last election and it’s a do-or-die situation for me. I want to fight a straight battle with the BJP this time and urge you to elect Balram from here. The independents and regional parties’ candidates are decided by the BJP, and they are their B team. You have to be cautious while casting your vote,” Hooda said on Monday.
The Meham assembly segment has always elected an MLA belonging to the Jat community. Earlier, this seat was considered as a stronghold of Devi Lal family. Devi Lal won from here thrice in 1982, 1985 (bypoll) and 1987. The Meham bypoll in 1990, which was necessitated when Devi Lal became deputy Prime Minister, was cancelled twice. Firstly, due to the large-scale booth capturing and secondly, due to violence which led to the killing of an independent nominee. In the bypoll, Devi Lal’s blue-eyed boy, Anand Dangi turned rebel after the former pitched his son OP Chautala from Meham. In the bypoll, seven persons died following the death of Lok Dal rebel Amar Singh. The then Prime Minister VP Singh had asked Devi Lal to seek resignation of his son OP Chautala, then CM, who was contesting a bypoll to secure his place in the state assembly.
Independent MLA Balraj Kundu is known for his philanthropic activities. He is running buses for college girls in the constituency, besides opening libraries in rural areas and giving financial assistance to downtrodden families.
On Sunday, Kundu went door to door at Dobh village and sought votes from people. Talking to HT, Kundu said that last time, he was working to ensure education of girls and now his focus is to generate jobs for girls and youths.
“After we started buses for girl students, the percentage of girls for higher education in institutes has risen. Now, parents feel safe that their daughters will come home on time. We will work on improving health and infrastructure facilities in the constituency. Unemployment and farmers’ distress are important issues. I will surely win from here,” he added.
Voters in Meham say that issues like rise in crime, unemployment, drug abuse, poor condition of roads, farmers’ distress, and shortage of doctors in government hospitals matter to them.
Pawan Kumar, a resident of Mokhra village, said there was a direct fight between Balraj Kundu and Balram Dangi from Meham.
Congress candidate Balram Dangi said his father Anand Singh Dangi has worked closely with former chief minister Hooda, who brought many projects in the constituency.
“During the Congress government, the airport was approved in Meham but in the BJP government, the same was shifted to Uttar Pradesh. Haryana voters want to bring a change and make Hooda the chief minister. He will again make Haryana number one in all parameters,” he added.
Independent candidate Radha Ahlawat, whose husband Shamsher Kharkara unsuccessfully contested the 2014 and 2019 assembly polls from Meham, claimed that Kundu and Dangi remained passive lawmakers, and they worked for their families. She is backed by the Jannayak Janata Party.
BJP candidate and former captain of Indian Kabaddi team Deepak Hooda seems to be struggling in getting support. Several BJP leaders had quit the party after the ticket was given to Deepak, considering him an outsider. He belonged to Chamaria village which falls in the Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi assembly segment.
Deepak Hooda said the BJP government has worked a lot for the sports fraternity and his ticket is respect to all sportspersons.
“I belong to a humble family and the BJP gave a lot of respect by fielding me from Meham. I will continue to raise the issue of youths, sportspersons and other sections of society,” he added.