BJP, Cong go full throttle in Rohtak to galvanise support

As the civic body elections enter their final phase, the BJP and the Congress are exerting all their efforts to secure the support of voters in Rohtak.

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The BJP has mobilised its senior leadership, including former ministers and MLAs, the former Mayor and the ex-chairperson of the Haryana State Women’s Commission, to engage in extensive door-to-door canvassing and to address election meetings. Haryana Cabinet ministers too are campaigning to energise the party nominees and workers.

Meanwhile, local MLA and senior Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Batra is playing a pivotal role by coordinating with party candidates to assist with the campaign both in the field and on social media. He holds daily meetings at his office to strategise and review the progress of the campaign. Congress’s Kalanaur MLA Shakuntla Khattak too is active in her area falling under her constituency.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his MP son Deepender Hooda have already bolstered the Congress campaign by addressing meetings across various locations in the district.

While five candidates are vying for the post of Mayor, the contest seems to be a direct battle between the BJP and the Congress. The BJP has nominated Ram Avtar Valmiki, the national vice-president of the SC cell, while the Congress has put forward former councillor Surajmal Kiloi.

The BJP is urging voters to support a “triple-engine government” by electing their candidates, emphasising that this would usher in a new era of development, given that the BJP holds power at both the Centre and the state level. In contrast, the Congress is focusing the BJP’s criticism on local issues, particularly pointing to the alleged Rs 300 crore corruption in the AMRUT scheme.

Congress MP Deepender Hooda has taken a veiled jibe at the BJP’s outgoing Mayor, Manmohan Goyal, stating that Rohtak needed a strong Mayor, not a weak one. He also criticised the BJP government for neglecting development in the city, claiming that any development funds allocated were misused but no investigation was conducted.

Similarly, Bharat Bhushan Batra has blamed the BJP for ongoing civic issues in the city, such as waterlogging, clogged sewers, poor drainage, inadequate park maintenance, traffic congestion and the stray cattle menace. “The Congress will win the mayoral seat as the BJP has failed to deliver over the past five years,” Batra asserted.

With the election now in its final stretch, the BJP is focused on building connections with influential figures across various wards to gather support. Senior leaders, including former Labour and Employment Minister Krishan Murti Hooda, former Haryana State Women’s Commission chairperson Pratibha Suman, and former MLA Sarita Narain, are actively engaged in door-to-door canvassing in their area of influence.

Similarly, former Cooperation Minister Manish Grover is also addressing election meetings in different wards and meeting prominent city figures to strengthen the BJP’s position.

“The BJP will comfortably retain the mayoral seat. The people of Rohtak know what’s best for their city, and they will vote for the BJP to ensure comprehensive development. We are receiving an overwhelming response during door-to-door canvassing, which is a clear indication that the BJP will win the mayoral election by a significant margin,” claimed Krishan Murti Hooda.

On Monday, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini too boosted the party campaign by holding a poll meeting while Delhi CM Rekha Gupta is set to take out a roadshow at main markets in Old Rohtak on February 28, last day of the electioneering, to woo  the women and the business community.