The battle lines for the Baroda bypoll were drawn on Friday with the Congress and the BJP candidates filing their papers on the last date of nominations. However, making the contest triangular, BJP rebel Kapoor Singh Narwal, also a strong contender for the Congress ticket, entered the fray as an Independent at the eleventh hour after he was snubbed by both the national parties.
Though the Congress put its bets on Induraj Narwal, the BJP again reposed faith in Olympic medalist and renowned wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt as the joint candidate of the ruling coalition. Mr. Dutt had lost to Congress’ Shri Krishan Hooda by a margin of around 4,800 votes in the Assembly election last year. The bypoll has been necessitated due to demise of the Congress MLA in April.
Accompanying the party candidate for his filing of nomination, Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Congress had given ticket to a grassroots worker from a common farmer family on the demand of the people of Baroda. He said this was not just an election to make an MLA but a fight for the honour of Baroda and the future of Haryana. The State party chief Kumari Selja and Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda were also present.
Though the Hoodas strongly favoured Mr. Kapoor Singh Narwal’s candidature, the party decided on the name of Mr. Induraj Narwal after Ms. Selja insisted on a party worker as the candidate, party sources said. Since the Hoodas have strong political influence in the region, they have higher stakes than the party itself. However, with four major Jat candidates in the fray, the odds are stacked against the Congress. Though the result for the election will have little political bearing with the ruling coalition having a comfortable majority.
Mr. Kapoor Singh Narwal, who was also among the BJP probables for the seat, has filed his nomination as an Independent with support from Meham Independent MLA Balraj Kundu. Mr. Kundu said the Congress had fielded a “dummy” candidate and Mr. Narwal, with the support of the locals, would record a landslide win.
Addressing a gathering prior to the nomination of Mr. Dutt, BJP State chief O.P. Dhankar said the people of Baroda had accepted the young, honest and eminent wrestler as the party’s candidate rising above the caste politics.
While the Indian National Lok Dal fielded Joginder Malik, former BJP MP and Loktantra Suraksha Party chief RajKumar Saini is also in the fray.
A total of 24 nominations were filed for the bypoll. Last date to withdraw nominations is October 19. The polling will be held on November 3, a week before the counting of votes on November 10.
