As the voting day is drawing closer, candidates from Ambala (reserve) constituency, including BJP's sitting MP Rattan Lal Kataria and his main rival Kumari Selja of Congress are focusing on 'nukkad' meetings across the constituency to have a direct connect with the electors.
Since 1967, the seat has witnessed a direct contest between the Congress and BJP.
The Congress has won the seat nine times while the BJP has been successful on six occasions.Bahujan Samaj Party was the only non-Congress, non-BJPoutfit to have won the seat in 1998 after an alliance with Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).
The state will go to polls on May 12.
BJP has its MLAs in all the 9 nine assembly segments including Kalka, Panchkula, Ambala Cantt, Ambala City and Yamunanagar.
BJP candidate Kataria has contested from Ambala four times and won twice in 1999 and 2014. While Congress' Selja won it in 2004 and 2009. In 2014 she was nominated for Rajya Sabha.
"Delayed payment" of sugarcane farmers and "illegal mining", especially in Naraingarh and Yamunanagar areas are burning issues raked up by the candidates in the fray.
Both Kataria and Selja had promised for construction of rail track between Yamunanagar Naraingarh -Chandigarh which is lying pending for the last 10 years.
The promise of converting Ambala Cantt Railway station into a world class facility is also lying pending, making it a burning topic for the contestants.
Kataria is banking on Modi while Selja is stressing on 'Nyay', the minimum income guarantee scheme ofRs 72000 per annum to poor persons announced by the Congress.
The recent rally of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in favour of Selja has boosted the Congress workers.
In all, 18 candidates are in the fray including independents. Besides the Congress and the BJP, Rampal Balmiki of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), and Naresh Saran of the BSP-Loktantra Suraksha Party alliance are also in the contest.
Schedule Caste and Backward Communities have dominated the political narrative in Ambala which has around 5 lakh voters.
BJP's Kataria is hopeful for his victory.
"In 2014, I had won this seat with the margin of 3.40 lakhs. This time the winning margin would increase," he said.
He alleged Selja could not bring any major project for Ambala during her 10 years tenure as minister in the UPA government.
Alleging strong resentment against Kataria in the constituency, Congress candidate Selja said he has "failed to fulfill most of the promises made during last election".
She alleged he was being opposed by the villagers in several villages.
"There was no Modi wave in the region, it was the political propaganda of BJP to divert the attention of people from main issues," she added.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
