Hisar’s Adampur still a family fiefdom

Ever since Haryana was carved out of Punjab post its reorganisation in 1966, the state has witnessed several governments of various political parties, yet there is one constituency where the political regime hasn’t changed in several decades.

In the last 11 Assembly elections, the family of former Haryana chief minister the late Bhajan Lal has always remained victorious from the seat of Adampur in Haryana’s Hisar.

This election, Bhajan Lal’s son Kuldeep Bishnoi, who is the sitting MLA from Adampur, is seeking to get re-elected on a Congress ticket.

The seat has been the family’s citadel. Candidates from the family— be it Bhajan Lal, his wife Jasma Devi or son Kuldeep Bishnoi— have never tasted defeated from this seat.

But this time, the BJP has turned this into a major challenge for Bishnoi.

IT sleuths had raided premises of Bishnoi a few months ago. Sources claimed that stashed foreign assets worth over Rs 200 crore were detected after the raids.

The first warning signs for Bishnoi were writ large when his son, Bhavya Bishnoi, made his debut in mainstream electoral politics by contesting on a Congress ticket in the recently held Lok Sabha elections from Hisar.

Bishnoi lost to BJP candidate and former IAS officer Brijinder Singh who managed to secure over 51% of the votes. Adampur constituency is a part of Hisar Lok Sabha segment.

What has left the Bhajan Lal clan flummoxed is that the debutant next generation Bhavya trailed even from Adampur by over 23,000 votes.

Kuldeep, his wife Renuka, who is also an MLA, and Bhavya, all saw the Lok Sabha result as the writing on the wall.

The entire family has been camping in the constituency for the last few months making amends ahead of the elections.

Adampur residents cry for water. “Every family has to spend a few thousands of rupees to buy water through tankers every month,” a villager said.

Kuldeep’s nearest rival of the BJP, Sonali Phogat, may be a rookie in politics, yet she’s making it difficult for the Congress strongman in his home turf.