Rohtak: Congress braces up to take on BJP in Jat belt

Tribune News Service

Sunit Dhawan

Rohtak, March 28

While the ruling BJP has announced its candidates for all 10 Lok Sabha seats of Haryana, the Congress is yet to finalise its nominees in the state. The winnability of the candidates is being accorded top priority by the Congress leadership, which obviously does not want the BJP to repeat a clean-sweep performance as shown by it in the last general elections. As per political analysts, the Congress will focus on the Sonepat-Rohtak-Hisar Jat belt and try to wrest all three seats from the ruling BJP.

Cong has hold

Developments in the state indicate that a majority of the farmers, primarily Jats, are not inclined towards the BJP. The Congress has a considerable hold in the Jat belt and will try to assert its supremacy. — Political analyst

“The recent developments in the state indicate that a majority of the farmers, primarily Jats, are not inclined towards the BJP. The Congress has a considerable hold in the Jat belt and will certainly try to assert its supremacy there,” said a political analyst. Particularly the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat has become a prestige issue and both the Congress as well as the BJP are leaving no stone unturned to ensure their victory in Rohtak.

The BJP has declared Dr Arvind Sharma, its sitting MP, as its candidate for the Rohtak seat, while Congress Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda is the party’s most likely candidate for the Rohtak seat. The nominees for the other two seats are not yet clear. Former IAS officer Brijendra Singh, who was elected the MP from Hisar on the BJP ticket in the last elections and had recently joined the Congress, was among the top contenders for the Hisar as well as Sonepat seats.

Two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who had lost the last Lok Sabha elections from the Sonepat seat, has already made it clear that he will not contest the parliamentary poll this time.

Political observers point out that Hooda may not contest the election from Sonepat this time, but he will want that one of his confidants is fielded from the constituency. Infighting among different factions of the Congress over the allotment of party ticket might hamper the party’s chances of putting up a good show. “Striking a balance among different factions of the state Congress is the biggest challenge for the party’s central leadership as of now,” conceded a Congress leader.

The installation of Nayab Singh Saini as the Chief Minister is also being considered a masterstroke of the BJP, which has made an effective attempt to woo the OBC voters. The move may have considerable influence in the Jat belt as well.

Nonetheless, the abrupt removal of former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar from the top post has not gone down well with the Punjabi community, which has been a traditional vote-bank of the BJP.

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