Hisar by-polls: Cong says sympathy factor worked for Bishnoi

The Congress on Monday downplayed its defeat in Hisar Lok Sabha by-polls saying it had not won the seat even during the last elections and dismissed the contention that the result betrayed the effect of Team Anna's call to people not to vote for its candidate over the Lokpal issue.

Congress General Secretary in-charge for Haryana B K Hariprasad said the defeat in the constituency was "not unexpected" given the fact that in the last parliamentary elections too, the Congress had secured third position.

The Haryana Janhit Congress-Bharatiya Janata Party combine nominee Kuldeep Bishnoi, who is the son of late former state chief minister Bhajan Lal, won the by-election defeating his nearest rival Ajay Chautala of while the ruling Congress candidate Jai Parkash stood third.

Hariprasad said that the "sympathy factor" following the demise of Bhajan Lal, who represented the constituency and had been the chief minister thrice, played a role so also the social equations. He also recalled that the party had lost from Hisar even in 2009 Lok Sabha elections in which the Congress had won all other parliamentary seats in Haryana.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, who hails from Hisar, had campaigned in the constituency after the civil society members led by Anna Hazare decided to oppose Congress candidate there on the issue of Lokpal.

Hariprasad, however, dismissed suggestions that there was any "Kejriwal effect" in the constituency. The polling was necessitated in Hisar due to the death of sitting member of Parliament Bhajan Lal of Haryana Janhit Congress in June. There were in all 40 candidates, mostly independents, in the fray.

The by-polls held on October 13 had witnessed a turnout of nearly 69 per cent with the Anna factor raising the stakes for the Congress in a triangular fight.