Bhiwani wallets open for sons

All the three main candidates in this constituency belong to powerful political families and have matching strengths in public support, money, and other resources.

All the three main candidates in this constituency belong to powerful political families and have matching strengths in public support, money, and other resources. But there is something that sets them apart: campaign donations.

HT Image

INLD nominee Ajay Singh Chautala, son of chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, seems to have raced ahead of his rivals in the extent of monetary support he is getting. While this is no indicator of the level of public support each one of them has, Ajay Chautala, a member of the dissolved Lok Sabha, gets substantial campaign donations each time he sets his foot in the rural belt.

In village after village, people open up their wallets for him at public meetings, with the sarpanchs taking the lead in most cases. While some of them offer currency garlands or silver crowns, others contribute cash equal to his weight in coins. In a few hours, the garlands pile up on the back seat of his off-white Lexus.

For the INLD workers the campaign donations have come to signify support. Kuldeep Bishnoi (Congress) and Surender Singh (HVP), too, seem to be getting good monetary support, but they cannot match Ajay Chautala on this count.

"Don't go by the money he is getting," cautions Bishnoi. "The village sarpanchs have been told by the ruling INLD to give currency garlands to the candidate at rallies to create a positive mood in his favour. But such things do not work. The people who are giving him money will not even vote for him."

But even before he finishes, one of his associates butts in. "Perhaps the way the INLD man is built can explain why he is getting more campaign funds. It fetches him more money each time he is weighed," he says with a big grin.

About himself, Bishnoi says he is much more keen on the people's votes than financial support. "We have not asked anyone to give money. And I don't want to compete with anyone on this," he says.