Khap leaders enter poll fray

Chandigarh: Haryana’s khap panchayats, which often make headlines with their diktats on matrimony, women’s rights and personal freedom, have for the first time mobilised politically. Apart from a move to mobilise all khap panchayats to collectively support a pro-Jat party, several heads of khaps have also individually thrown their hats into the ring. A spokesperson of the Sarv Jatt Khap Panchayat (SJKP), a powerful conglomerate of khap panchayats, tried to rally some 100 active khap panchayats behind one party, so that their votes would not get divided. These khaps command influence in the districts of Bhiwani, Hissar, Jind, Rohtak, Sonepat, Kaithal, Jhajjar, Mahendragarh, Palwal and Gurgaon among others.