This Badal and Chotala back Congress

HOSHIARPUR/BHIWANI: The bonhomie between the ruling Badal family of Punjab's Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Chautalas of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has been the most debated talkfest this Lok Sabha polls in Haryana.
But, here's a funny twist in the tale. There are two villages - Badal in Haryana's Bhiwani district and Chotala in Punjab's Dasuya tehsil of Hoshiarpur district - that share the surnames of SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala.Only that the village Chotala is spelt with an 'o'.
But neither of these villages has favoured SAD, BJP or INLD in 2009 Lok Sabha polls. BJP is in alliance with SAD in Punjab while INLD is going it alone in Haryana in this election.
According to last Lok Sabha electoral rolls, Chotala had 911 voters. Here, the Congress received 334 votes followed by BJP's 225. The third party in the order was Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) at 56. Like its present arrangement, the SAD had not
fielded any candidate. The turnout was 69.05%.
Similarly, Haryana's Badal village had 1903 registered voters and had two booths - 47 and 48 - allocated to it in 2009.
At booth number 47, Congress received 419 votes while INLD got 327. At booth number 48, Congress got 112 votes and INLD received 28.
TALE OF TWO VILLAGES
Chotala (Punjab) Badal (Haryana)
Cong 334 531
INLD Not contested 355
SAD Not contested Not contested
BJP 225 Not contested