Understand ‘Khap Politics’ in Haryana… How many Khaps are there, who are the prominent faces and whose electoral game will they spoil?

There is a lot of discussion on Khap politics in the Haryana assembly elections. From the prominent faces of the Khap to what, how and how much impact their support and opposition will have, these points have also become hot topics of discussion. The reason for this is that from Sonu Ahlawat to Azad Palwa, everyone has entered the electoral fray. Along with Sonu, who is associated with Ahlawat Khap, Amit Ahlawat is also in the fray on the Beri seat. Govardhan Singh, the head of 360 Khap Mehrauli, is also in the fray as an independent. In such a situation, let us know how effective Khap politics is in the Haryana elections, how many Khaps are there and who are its prominent faces. But first let’s talk about Khap.

What is Khap?

The clans of a clan or community together form a Khap. Khaps are also formed by combining several villages which play a decisive role in resolving small disputes of the village society to determining a collective path on any issue. The decision of the Khap is final for the respective clan, community or village and everyone has to accept it. Khap Panchayats have also been in controversies regarding many Talibani decrees but they have their own social importance and place. When a collective decision has to be taken on any issue, then all the Khaps together form a Sarvkhap and every Khap accepts its decision.

How many Khaps and who are the prominent faces?

Haryana is a Jat dominated state and Khaps are linked to its identity. There are about 120 Khaps in the state, out of which Sarv Khap, Maham Choubisi, Phogat Khap, Sangwan Khap, Sheoran, Dhankhar, Satgama, Haveli, Malik, Jakhar, Hooda, Kandela, Binain, Gathwala Malik etc. are the prominent ones. Dharampal Kandela is the chief of Kandela Khap while Balwan Singh Malik is the chief of Satbas Khap. In Khap politics, Balwant Nambardar, the chief of Phogat Khap and Somveer Sangwan, the leader of Sangwan Khap also hold a strong position.

Khap has shown its power to the governments

There is talk of weakening of the influence of Khaps in Haryana politics after 2014. There is a reason for this, but the political influence of Khaps, which work as a tool for caste mobilization, has been so much in the state that even governments and CMs have surrendered. Devi Lal had to leave the post of Chief Minister after being made Deputy Prime Minister in the government led by VP Singh in 1989. At that time, he was an MLA from Meham and had been fighting and winning elections with the support of Meham Choubisi Khap.

After Devi Lal became active in Delhi politics, the reins of the government came into the hands of his son Om Prakash Chautala and he contested the elections from Meham seat. Meham Chaubisi supported Anand Singh Dangi who contested against Chautala and after this, the by-elections were postponed repeatedly due to violence and he even had to resign from the post of CM. When the elections were held, the Khap again supported Dangi and Chautala was defeated.

During the recent protest by wrestlers, the Khaps had given the government an ultimatum of June 9 to take action against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and hold talks with the protesters. About a week before this, the wrestlers sitting at Jantar Mantar had received a call for talks with the Home Minister.

How effective are Khaps in politics?

In Haryana politics, the support of Khap and Dera was once considered a guarantee of victory, but questions started being raised after the defeat of Congress in the 2014 Haryana elections. Khaps had announced their support to Congress. Then Chaudhary Dada Baljit Singh of Gathwala Khap, who contested the elections, and Santosh Dahiya, who is also associated with the Khap, lost.

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But after the 2019 Haryana elections and the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Khaps have again come into an influential role. In the 2019 Haryana elections, Somveer Sangwan, the head of the Sangwan Khap, contested as an independent from the Charkhi Dadri seat and defeated BJP candidate Babita Phogat in the electoral battle. BJP, which won all 10 seats in the state in the 2014 and 2019 general elections, lost on five seats, and the opposition of the Khaps was also a big factor behind this. The Khaps had called for voting in favor of the candidates who would defeat the BJP.

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Talking about the influence of Khaps, they have a strong influence in the politics of small cities, towns and villages. Every Khap has its own sphere of influence. Talking about Kandela Khap, its hold is considered strong in Jind assembly constituency. At the same time, Gathwala Malik Khap is considered more influential in about a dozen assembly seats including Ganaur, Gohana, Baroda, Israna, Safido. In the last assembly elections, the supported candidates of this Khap won the elections and reached the assembly on about half a dozen seats. The influence of Sarv Khap is on assembly seats like Navana, Tohana, Uklana, Barwala, Kaithal, Narnaund, while Binain Khap is considered more influential in Narwana and Uklana.

Whose election game will they spoil?

This time, the entry of some Khap leaders in the election fray in Haryana elections has increased the tension of political parties. Along with Kadyan, candidates from Ahlawat, Deshpal and 360 Khap Mehrauli have also entered the election fray. Sonu Ahlawat, associated with Ahlawat Khap, has been fielded by Aam Aadmi Party from Beri seat. At the same time, after a meeting of representatives of 66 villages on Uchana Kalan seat against former Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, the Khap announced to field Azad Palwa.

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Now the question is whose game will the Khaps spoil? In the Lok Sabha elections, the Khaps had called for voting for the one who would defeat the BJP. The result was that the Jat vote was consolidated in favour of the Congress and the party won five seats. This time if the Jat vote gets divided due to people associated with the Khaps contesting as independent candidates or on Aam Aadmi Party tickets, Congress may suffer losses.