Arvind Sharma-Deepender Hooda face-off in Rohtak

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, March 26

With the BJP re-nominating the outgoing MP, Dr Arvind Sharma, as its candidate, the Rohtak parliamentary constituency is set to witness a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress, like the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Even though the Congress is yet to declare its candidate, Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda has already launched a campaign, announcing himself the party nominee.

Arvind and Deepender were locked in a neck-and-neck contest in 2019. Arvind won by a margin of 7,503 votes. Both are experienced players of electoral politics. Arvind is a four-time MP and contested Assembly poll whereas this will be the fifth Lok Sabha poll for Deepender. He has won the Lok Sabha elections thrice and Rajya Sabha poll once.

Arvind romped home in the Lok Sabha poll from Karnal on the Congress ticket in 2004 and 2009 while he emerged victorious as an Independent candidate from Sonepat in 1996. In 2019, Deepender got lead in five of nine Assembly segments of the Rohtak parliamentary constituency. The segments were Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, Beri, Meham, Badli and Jhajjar.

Arvind Sharma got the lead from Rohtak, Kalanaur, Bahadurgarh and Kosli (Rewari) segments. “Kosli had played a crucial role in the victory of BJP candidate Arvind Sharma in 2019. He took a massive lead of 74,980 votes over Deepender from there,” said a political observer. As far as other candidates are concerned, BSP candidate Kishan Lal Panchal polled 38,364 votes, JJP nominee Pradeep Deswal 21,211 votes and INLD’s Dharamvir 7,158 votes. As many as 3,001 electors had opted for NOTA.