New Delhi:
As Anna Hazare's team campaigns against the Congress in Haryana, the Prime Minister has written to the anti-corruption crusader, assuring him of his commitment to a strong Lokpal Bill, which will combat graft among government servants. Dr Singh has also said that his government is looking keenly at electoral reforms, including the "Right to Reject" that Anna has been championing. The PM has said that political consensus is necessary on these issues, and that other political parties will be consulted for their assessment. (
Read PM's letter)
The Right to Reject means that in elections, voters will have the option to declare on their ballot paper that they do not like any of the listed candidates. If a significant number of voters indicate that they don't find any of the candidates worthy, the election would be declared void.
Even as the PM and Anna engage via letters (Anna had written to Dr Singh on September 21), the exchange of words between Team Anna and the Congress are getting sharper. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh told NDTV that he has a letter that proves the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh or RSS has supported Anna's movement - a claim Anna has rejected earlier.
In Hisar in Haryana, which votes on Thursday for its Lok Sabha MP, Anna's representatives tell voters their movement has no political colour. "It is just a people's movement," they insist.
The Hisar election has turned into a huge prestige point between the Congress and Mr Hazare's group of activists.
Team Anna has promised voters that a defeat for the Congress will prove to the party that its leaders must ensure that a new anti-corruption Jan Lokpal Bill (People's Ombudsman Bill) is passed in Parliament in the winter session. At rallies, Anna's representatives like Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi told people the Congress can be described as "a government of the corrupt."
Earlier today, it was Digvijaya Singh who sent Anna "an open letter." By campaigning against the Congress, he warned, Anna is inadvertently helping the two front-runners in the election. Both those candidates come from heavyweight political families - one is the son of Om Prakash Chautala, the other's father is former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, who was Hisar's MP till he died in June.
"Are you not aware of the history of the family of late Bhajan Lal? Are you not acquainted with the history of Chautala family? Are you oblivious of the fact that there were cases of corruption pending against them in courts?" Mr Singh wrote to Anna.
The Congress leader stressed the regard he has for the Gandhian. "I am writing this open letter to you with great regret. I have great respect for you and this is a sentiment that I have held ever since I visited you in Ralegaon Siddhi. When I was Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, you visited our villages and helped us with water-harvesting. I used to touch your feet to seek your blessings," Mr Singh writes.
"But recent developments worry me," he goes on to say. "It seems like a handful of people have surrounded you. These are people who have always been anti-Congress. Whether it's Shanti Bhushan, his son Prashant or Arvind Kejriwal. They have political agendas and they are exploiting your clean and pure image for their gain."
(Read Digvijaya Singh's letter)He added, "The government is committed to passing the Lokpal Bill. Why have you adopted an anti-Congress stance?"
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 candidate for the Haryana Janhit Congress, and is supported by the BJP. He faces stiff competition from Ajay Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), whose father Om Prakash Chautala has served as the state's chief minister. The Congress has chosen as its candidate Jai Prakash. He placed third in the elections for the same Lok Sabha seat in 2009, but enjoys the confidence of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
What many now point out is that by asking voters to spurn the Congress, Anna could boost the political fortune of Mr Chautala, whose family has been investigated by the CBI for corruption and wealth that cannot be accounted for - at one point, the Chautalas' assets were evaluated at nearly 1,500 crores. Mr Chautala has been quick to suggest he enjoys Team Anna's blessings. "His (Anna's) team is openly speaking against the Congress," he said, "they have also spoken against Bishnoi. So it's clear who they are supporting. I will of course benefit from their support," he said today.
The BJP, meanwhile, has claimed that Team Anna would like to see Mr Bishnoi win - a theory rejected by Mr Kejriwal. In fact, both he and Ms Bedi say that there are 39 other candidates available to voters who don't want to support the Congress, Mr Chautala or Mr Bishnoi.