Hisar:
Anna Hazare isn't in Haryana. But you wouldn't know it from the sea of posters and
topis (caps) that can be seen everywhere. At the huge election rallies, his team members - Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi - speak on his behalf. Vote against the Congress, they say.
Hisar votes on Thursday this week for its next Lok Sabha MP. The by-election comes after Bhajan Lal of the Haryana Janhit Congress Party died in June while still serving his term. His son, Kuldeep Bishnoi, is the party's candidate, and has the BJP's support. Up against him is Ajay Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).
The Congress has chosen as its candidate Jai Prakash. He placed third in the elections for the same Lok Sabha seat in 2009. That could explain why his party has roped in not just Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda but other senior politicians from neighbouring states for the campaign.
The prestige point of the election is lost on nobody. Just in case his proxies don't make his point clearly enough, Anna has sent a 10-minute CD describing the Congress as the government of the corrupt." Team Anna's point is simple: the Congress has failed to introduce the new anti-corruption Lokpal Bill so far. Defeating the party will prove that the bill must be passed in the winter session of Parliament. Or else.
There are several big states scheduled to vote soon - including Uttar Pradesh. Anna has vowed to campaign against the Congress once again if it doesn't rush to get the Lokpal Bill approved as law.
The Bill provides for an ombudsman agency - the Lokpal - that will be empowered to investigate complaints of corruption among government servants. In August, Anna went on a 12-day fast, refusing to eat till Parliament approved in principle three powers for the Lokpal that he deems necessary.
The Congress has tried to dismiss Anna's tactics as blackmail. The party's Digvijaya Sigh has repeated the accusation that Anna is a man on an undeclared mission for the BJP. The 74-year-old activist rejects all allegations of political affiliation. "It is not votebank politics, but politics for the people" Mr Kejriwal said today at a rally. "Our movement is a people's movement and we want it to remain so. Our main agenda is to get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed."