Musheera Ashraf/ TwoCircles.net
Badkali Chowk (Nuh), Haryana: At the entrance of Tigaon village, 60 kilometres away from Nuh, a group of men sit outside the local shops, passing around a hookah as they discuss the upcoming elections. The group spans generations, with ages ranging from 25 to 65, yet one sentiment unites them a sense of skepticism. “Elections come and go, politicians will come and go, but the situation will remain the same,” remarks a middle-aged man, clearly unconvinced by the criteria his elders use to choose their candidate. The crowd is split, with half supporting Mohammad Habib of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the other half backing Mamman Khan of the Congress party.
The ongoing assembly elections in Ferozepur Jhirka feature a diverse lineup of candidates from different political parties. Naseem Ahmed is contesting under the BJP banner, Mamman Khan for the Congress, Waseem Zaffar for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Jaan Mohammad for the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), and Mohammad Habib for the INLD. Each candidate represents a different political ideology, making the race highly competitive as they vie for dominance in this crucial constituency.
Tigaon is the ancestral village of the BJP candidate Naseem Ahmed, who previously served as the Haryana Legislative Assembly representative for Ferozepur Jhirka from 2014 to 2019 under the Indian National Lok Dal. In 2019, after switching to the BJP, Ahmed lost the seat to Mamman Khan of Congress by a staggering margin of 37,004 votes. Just five years ago, Khan had contested as an independent candidate and narrowly lost to Ahmed by a margin of 3,245 votes, a testament to how rapidly the political landscape of Mewat has shifted in recent years. Many attribute Khan’s 2019 victory to shrewd political calculations and shifting regional dynamics.
A short distance from Badakali Chowk, a small tent known locally as a dhaba has been set up by Naseem Ahmed’s supporters. Contrary to common perceptions, the supporters gathered here are mostly elderly, bearded men. A few middle-aged individuals sit with them, nodding in deference to their elders. The conversation heats up when a supporter points toward a nearby road and refers to it as a “khooni road” (killer road), highlighting that the single-lane stretch witnesses hundreds of accidents each month. Another BJP supporter assures them that the road will be widened if the party comes to power, but a fellow villager reminds him that road infrastructure is the responsibility of the central government. The conversation gradually turns into a hearted exchange, with youngsters and middle-aged men asking the elderly BJP supporters to better keep mum and stop showing praises for the saffron party. Mumtaz, one of the most vocal BJP supporters, falls silent when one asks about the party’s stance on the controversial Waqf Bill. “Aisi baatein hamey bhi buri lagti hai (we also feel bad when we hear such statements),” he admits, expressing discomfort with the issue.
The disagreement between party supporters is palpable, as one of the dhaba attendee’s remarks that Congress members are not welcome there, just as BJP supporters aren’t allowed at the Congress dhaba.
For some residents of Mewat, the stakes of the election go beyond political allegiances and promises of development. Life has become a series of legal battles for people like Twenty-three-year-old Rashid Mewati, who is out on bail, has allegedly been charged with 17 criminal cases for his purported involvement in the July 31, 2023, communal violence, which had erupted during a Hindu religious procession. Rashid, like 27 others, claims the charges against him are “fabricated”. He claims the charges are fabricated, but the toll on his life is very real. “I can’t go to work; I have to attend court every other day,” Rashid laments. “No one will give me work if I’m asking for leave every second day.”
As polling continues, the hopes and frustrations of Ferozpur Jhirka residents mirror the larger struggles of the region. While candidates make promises, the people remain divided, unsure if any politician can truly bring the change they need.