Kurukshetra : "Dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah mamakah"- the opening verse of the celebrated epic Bhagwad-Gita is written in bold letters at "Jyotisar" temple complex, revered as the exact location where Lord Krishna gave his "discourse" to Arjuna before the battle of Mahabharata.
A resident of nearby Bhorsai village, guide Dheer Singh's knowledge of the temple complex is commended by visiting pilgrims who also give him tips. However, Singh is disappointed at the lack of anycampaign to highlight the pilgrimages in the region, which could have created more jobs. "Berozgari ( unemployment )," is Singh's single-word response to the dominant theme in the polls where the BJP is struggling to beat anti-incumbency, rebellion and intra-party feuds.
Singh is one of the marginal farmers belonging to Kurukshetra, which with Karnal and Kaithal are popular as the "rice bowl of India". Others too echo Singh's viewpoint. For them "naukri" means "sarkari (govt)" and not "private jobs" for which they rue "youth migration" to Delhi and other metros.
Ahead of polls, govt had sought applications to fill up an unspecified number sweepers' posts. A staggering 1.66 lakh applied, including over 40,000 graduates and 6,000 postgraduates. No wonder all parties put govt jobs on top of their manifesto.
Sukhvinder Singh, belonging to one of the five Jat families from Indri village on Kurukshetra-Rohtak Road, however, is equally unhappy with the poor quality of roads. "Go beyond highways ... you will see pathetic roads," says Sukhvinder. Villagers also disagree with reports of Congress infighting as they emphasise Kumari Selja and Bhupinder Huda are like "sister and brother."
Dalip Prajapati, a staff at a local multi-store, however, says voters are "silent" and the results will be a surprise. He believes BJP will return as govt's "welfare schemes" will click for the party again. CM Nayab Singh Saini is BJP's nominee from Ladwa, 15 km from Kurukshetra town, and pitted against incumbent Congress MLA Hawa Singh. Caste dominance boosts Saini's chances, but even for him, it's not a cakewalk.
A resident of nearby Bhorsai village, guide Dheer Singh's knowledge of the temple complex is commended by visiting pilgrims who also give him tips. However, Singh is disappointed at the lack of anycampaign to highlight the pilgrimages in the region, which could have created more jobs. "Berozgari ( unemployment )," is Singh's single-word response to the dominant theme in the polls where the BJP is struggling to beat anti-incumbency, rebellion and intra-party feuds.
Singh is one of the marginal farmers belonging to Kurukshetra, which with Karnal and Kaithal are popular as the "rice bowl of India". Others too echo Singh's viewpoint. For them "naukri" means "sarkari (govt)" and not "private jobs" for which they rue "youth migration" to Delhi and other metros.
Ahead of polls, govt had sought applications to fill up an unspecified number sweepers' posts. A staggering 1.66 lakh applied, including over 40,000 graduates and 6,000 postgraduates. No wonder all parties put govt jobs on top of their manifesto.
Sukhvinder Singh, belonging to one of the five Jat families from Indri village on Kurukshetra-Rohtak Road, however, is equally unhappy with the poor quality of roads. "Go beyond highways ... you will see pathetic roads," says Sukhvinder. Villagers also disagree with reports of Congress infighting as they emphasise Kumari Selja and Bhupinder Huda are like "sister and brother."
Dalip Prajapati, a staff at a local multi-store, however, says voters are "silent" and the results will be a surprise. He believes BJP will return as govt's "welfare schemes" will click for the party again. CM Nayab Singh Saini is BJP's nominee from Ladwa, 15 km from Kurukshetra town, and pitted against incumbent Congress MLA Hawa Singh. Caste dominance boosts Saini's chances, but even for him, it's not a cakewalk.
