CHANDIGARH: The Sikhs may prove to be the single important segment of voters in influencing the outcome of 15-20 of the 90 Vidhan Sabha constituencies in Haryana.

While at least half a dozen of these constituencies could easily be categorized as predominantly Sikh populated the remaining among them have a significant strength of Sikh electorate.

The Assembly constituencies where the Sikhs have a substantial say mostly lie along the state’s border with Punjab and are located in the districts of Sirsa Hissar Kaithal Kurukashetra Karnal Jind Ambala and Yamuna Nagar.

It is because of this that different political parties in the past and also in the ensuing elections chose to field Sikh or pro-Sikh candidates from these constituencies Al times these parties also lend support to influential Sikh candidates contesting as independents as was done by the combined opposition parties in June 1987 general elections when these parties led by Mr Devi Lal had backed Mr H S Chatha from the Naggal constituency of Ambala district. Mr Chatha later was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha. He has now chosen to contest on the Congress-I ticket from the adjoining Pehowa constituency in Kaithal ‘district.

Of all the Sikhs elected to Haryana Vidhan Sabha in 1987 an outstanding example at the national level was set by Mr Gurdial Singh Saini from Kurukashetra. He won the Thanesar Assembly seat (Kurukashetra Vidhan Sabha seat is known by that name) as the Janata Dal (Lok Dal-B) candidate and went on to win the Kurukashetra Parliamentary seat in 1989 Lok Sabha elections for the Janata Dal but quit the House in protest against Mr Devi Lal’s decision to form a government at the Centre with the help of the Congress-I.

Although a trusted follower of Mr Devi Lal Mr Gurdail Singh Saini threw his lot with Mr V.P Singh when the Janata Dal split and is now the party’s candidate once again from the Kurukashetra Lok Sabha seat.

Based on present indications the Sikh voters in Haryana by and large are likely to support the candidates of SJP mainly because of what is considered pro-Sikh stance of the Prime Minister Mr Chandra Shekhar and his attempts to assuage the feelings of the Sikhs by seeking a dialogue with the militants to resolve the Punjab tangle.

Another factor for the Sikh voters to tilt towards the Samajwadi Janata Party (SJP) is the friendly relations that the party president Mr Devi Lal has maintained over the years with senior Akali Dal YY leaders like Mr Parkash Singh Badal Mr Simranjit Singh Mann Mr Surjit Singh Barnala and a host of others The way Devi Lal had been championing the cause of Sikhs since the days of Mr Jaya Prakash Narayan has created a vast fund of goodwill for him and the political party he stands for.

At the same time the Congress I too has been making sustain efforts in wooing the Sikh electorate though the Sikhs since the days of Operation Blue Star and the November 1984 riots in Delhi and elsewhere have maintained a virtually hostile posture towards the Congress-I denying it any chance of victory at least in Haryana areas where this section of the electorate is crucial in determining the outcome of the poll. In 1982 general elections the Congress-I had been able to manage poll victories for its nominees namely Mr Tara Singh Virk and Mr Piara Singh respectively from Shahabad and Pehowa constituency.

Similarly the two Communist parties CPI and CPM which managed maiden victories to Haryana Vidhan Sabha in the 1987 general elections had Sikhs as their candidates ie. Dr Hamam Singh (Shahabad) and Mr Harpal Singh. Tohana respectively Both are once again in fray from these seats.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 24, 1991