The BJP and the Congress put up shows of strength Friday as the Jind by-poll neared, with the ruling party accusing the Congress candidate Randeep Singh Surjewala of not taking his role as an MLA seriously.
At a rally, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar suggested that Surjewala, the Congress' chief spokesperson, hardly attended the state assembly to which he was elected from Kaithal.
"Congress is such a buffalo who eats fodder of Haryana but gives milk in Delhi," Khattar said.
Of total 72 sittings of Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Surjewala attended only seven, Khattar claimed.
There was no immediate comment on this claim from the Congress.
The by-poll for the Jind seat is scheduled to be held on January 28 and was necessitated following the death of INLD MLA Hari Chand Middha.
On the second-last day of electioneering, the entire cabinet and top state BJP leaders addressed the rally in support of party nominee Krishan Middha, the son of Hari Chand Middha.
"The Congress has scarcity of candidates... The party did not find a candidate from Jind for the by-poll," Khattar said, taking a jibe at Surjewala as he is already the Congress MLA from Kaithal.
He alleged that Surjewala during his tenure as minister in the previous Congress government did noting for development of the region.
Khattar also criticised the INLD and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).
The JJP was floated by Ajay Singh Chautala, the elder son of former CM and INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala after power struggle in the Chautala clan.
"What can you expect from people to do in the Vidhan Sabha who can not solve the problem within the family," he said, taking a jibe at the internal fight within the Chautala family.
He said that Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala and his brother and JJP nominee Digvijay Chautala should first learn how to maintain unity in the family.
At a sperate rally, the entire Haryana Congress rank threw it's weight behind Surjewala. Prominent among those present at the rally included CLP leader Kiran Choudhary, state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, Rohtak MP Deepinder Hooda, and former MP Naveen Jindal.
Surjewala in his address charged the BJP and INLD with turning Jind into a backward area.
"Today, Jind is backward due to the BJP's policies and its partisan approach," he said.
Seeking votes, he said that the people of Jind made him "learn how to walk, run and fly".
Addressing the gathering, Deepinder, the son of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, whose residence in Rohtak was raided by the CBI, said "such steps will not be tolerated in democracy".
Bhupinder Hooda was also supposed to address the rally, but could not reach due to the CBI raids at his residence in Rohtak.
"The NDA government at the Centre and the BJP in the state is trying to suppress the voice of Hooda who raises people's concern against PM Narendra Modi and Khattar," he said.
He challenged the BJP government to take any step against his father and asserted that "we will not be cowed down by such tactics".
The by-poll for the Jind seat, considered as the political heartland of Haryana, will prove to be a litmus test for all parties including the ruling BJP, the Congress, the INLD and the JJP.
On Saturday, the last day of the campaigning, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal will address a rally in favour of the JJP nominee.
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