Maneka Gandhi from Karnal? Modi-Shah to take call

New Delhi, Mar 12: Union Minister Maneka Gandhi is likely to contest from Haryana's Karnal in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Karnal being Chief Minister Manohar Lal's hometurf will witness a prestige battle.

The Women and Child Development Minister has asked the BJP leadership to field her from Karnal after she conveyed to the party high command her decision to vacate the Pilibhit parliamentary segment for her son Varun Gandhi, according to the reports.

However the final call on this will be taken by party president Amit Shah and PM Modi.

The Karnal Lok Sabha constituency comprises the assembly segments of Karnal, Indri, Panipat rural, Panipat city, Gharaunda, Nilokheri, Assandh and Samalkha.

Caste equations have always played a key role in all elections with Brahmin community playing the predominant role. It has voters from Harijan, Rod, Valmiki, Ghiver, Rajput, Gujjar and Saini communities.

The non-Brahmin candidates to win from this seat included current Karnal BJP's MP Ashwini Kumar Chopra, former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal and Mohinder Singh Lather of Janta Party who won a bypoll in 1978 in Karnal.

Over 1.74 crore people in Haryana are eligible to exercise their franchise in the 10 Lok Sabha seats of the state, the election for which will be held on May 12.