Sonepat set for big ‘Modi-Hooda’ fight

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sonepat, May 2

The Sonepat parliamentary constituency in the National Capital Region (NCR) is bracing for the big proxy fight between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the Lok Sabha election.

Sitting BJP MP Ramesh Kaushik may be seeking re-election from the strategic constituency yet a no-holds-barred “Modi-Hooda fight” is in the offing with the voters clearly split between the BJP and the Congress.

“Kaushik is a lightweight candidate as compared to Hooda. Moreover, anti-incumbency would weigh heavily on Kaushik as he has not been able to do much for the constituency despite the BJP governments at the Centre and the state. The choice for us is between Modi and Hooda,” said Amit Kumar, a roadside shop owner at Babain village, near Murthal.

Echoing similar sentiments, Sajjan Singh of Barota (Rai), said only a “Modi wave” could come to the rescue of the BJP candidate as Hooda during his 10-year tenure as Chief Minister had nurtured the Deshwali belt (Sonepat, Rohtak and Jhajjar) undertaking several developmental works. “Most of the voters are at their wits’ end, wondering whether they should go with Modi or repay Hooda’s debt,” he wondered.

Umed Singh, a resident of Jatheri (Murthal) on the GT Road, asserted that in the Lok Sabha poll, national issues like security were more important than the local issues. “Many voters think that this time they should go with the BJP and in the Assembly elections they could vote for Hooda as he was one of the tallest leaders in the state,” he said.

The BJP, aware that its candidate is pitted against a formidable Congress opponent, has been seeking vote in Modi’s name besides raking up Hooda’s various acts of omission and commission during 10 years of the Congress government.

The BJP is also missing no occasion to rake up Hooda’s alleged role during the February 2016 violent Jat quota agitation in a clear bid to polarise the Jat and non-Jat votes. Also, the BJP is pinning its hopes on JJP-AAP candidate Digvijay Chautala, who could divide the Jat votes which would ultimately benefit the saffron party. The factionalism in the Congress is also being exploited by the BJP to the hilt.

The Congress, on the other hand, is banking on Hooda’s stature besides the anti-incumbency against the BJP.

Azhar case big win for PM, says Khattar 

Panipat: Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Thursday that the BJP would win all 10 seats in the state and the election at Sonepat had become interesting after the entry of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and JJP leader Digvijay Chautala. On declaring Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist by United Nation Security Council, the CM said it was a big win for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government. He was interacting with mediapersons at the Panipat railway station during his short visit here before leaving for Chandigarh. TNS

Scoring points for parties

• BJP: “Modi wave”, polarisation of Jat, non-Jat votes, rampant Congress factionalism, JJP-AAP cutting into Congress votes
• Congress: Hooda’s stature and his hold over Jatland, anti-incumbency against the BJP government
• JJP-AAP: Digvijay Chautala’s impressive performance in Jind bypoll, alliance’s craze among young voters