Buoyed by the Bangladesh victory, Indira Gandhi opted for Lok Sabha mid-term poll which was held in March 1971 bringing back the Congress to power with a thumping majority. Bansi Lal, the then Chief Minister, sensed an opportunity to cash in on the favourable political environment created by the Congress's Lok Sabha win. He revealed his mind to this writer (then representing National Herald) and V.D. Chopra, Special Correspondent of Patriot (Chopra later became the paper's Editor) during our interview with him in his office. He said he had discussed the issue of holding Assembly mid-term poll with the then Governor B.N. Chakravorty with whom he had an excellent rapport. Chakravorty asked him if he had sought Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's nod.

Bansi Lal met Indira Gandhi and sought her consent for his proposal saying “Please allow me to tag Haryana Assembly's gadda (cart) with your Lok Sabha aeroplane which has magnificently accomplished its flight.” At his rustic argument a smiling Indira Gandhi gave her consent. Bansi Lal told us that next day a cabinet meeting would be held to recommend dissolution of the Assembly and he would convey the cabinet's decision to the Governor. A journalist's eagerness for a scoop compelled me to seek his consent for reporting the news. “In the past you have always asked to treat “off-the-record” some of your important revelations which professional ethics prevented us from using. Please do not impose this condition now.” He agreed but with a rider “You can use the news but ensure that it is not displayed on the newspaper's “Spot News board” next morning”. The commitment was honoured by my paper. The news headlined by National Herald next day created a stir. Early morning next day the cabinet met and passed a resolution for dissolution of the Assembly. To avoid journalists the Chief Minister took a circuitous rout to reach Haryana Raj Bhawan to deliver the cabinet's resolution to the Governor who ordered dissolution of the Assembly.

An electoral environment almost akin to that of 1972 prevails today. The Congress heading the UPA after increasing its numerical strength has returned to power at the Centre. In Haryana, it swept Lok Sabha poll losing only one of the ten seats to the former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal who could win with a slender margin from his home constituency.

No doubt, the first UPA government's social welfare measures and Dr. Manmohan Singh's image largely contributed to the Congress victory in Haryana. But the Hooda-led government's performance and the Chief Minister's image of a non-vindictive ruler -an important factor in sharp contrast to the former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala's image- also played a major role in bagging nine of the ten seats. A negative factor which was earlier feared to affect the ruling party's prospects has shown signs of abatement. The increasingly louder dissenting voices of some of the ministers have now quieted with the dissenters having also voted for mid-term poll.

As Chautala has said local issues would play a major role in deciding the Assembly elections outcome. But whatever the issues, these are not likely to cause much damage to the Congress's prospects. No doubt, people are agitating against power and water shortage and incidents of police excesses. But these have not created such anti-incumbency that can seriously damage the ruling party's electoral prospects. On the other hand, the government's thrust on development and securing huge investments besides granting unprecedented sops to almost all sections of the population, particularly the farmers, would act as vote-magnets. Chautala has charged that the government has created a financial mess with the losses to the state exchequer running into Rs.10,000 crores because of the populist schemes. Even if the charge officially remained unchallenged, it is not likely to have any significant effect on the voter's mind who is more interested in actual flow of benefits than with the intricacies of fiscal management.

On the political front also, the opposition is on a weak wicket. Some of the important leaders of the INLD-BJP and Bhajan Lal's Haryana Janhit Congress-BSP combines have deserted them to join the Congress. Though the HJC and BSP secured impressive vote percentage in Lok Sabha poll, the main factor of Mayawati emerging a serious Prime Ministerial contender which helped BSP get its impressive vote share no longer exists.

Instead of the Congress losing the elections as being claimed by the Opposition, it will be the future of the INLD-BJP alliance, more so of the two regional parties INLD and the HJC, that would need to be watched after the elections. The BJP is in deep crisis with the image of L.K. Advani, the main advocate of alliance with INLD having been deeply dented. The paralysed INLD has not been able to come out of its Lok Sabha rout's shock. The family-controlled HJC has not only been hit by desertions but also by the controversy generated by Bhajan Lal's dismissed Deputy Chef Minister son Chander Mohan's marriage with Haryana's dismissed Additional Advocate General Anuradha Balli after their conversion to Islam.

Both Chautala and Kuldeep Bishnoi, have claimed their parties would win the elections. Unless a miracle happens, the situation as it stands today indicates that the Congress will win the elections hands down. (IPA Service)