Eyeing clean sweep in Haryana, BJP treads cautiously on 2 seats

Even as the BJP released a list of eight seats for Haryana, it is treading cautiously on two -- Rohtak and Hisar. While a few names are doing rounds for both the seats, the party does not seem to be in a rush to finalise any one given how these two places stopped its clean sweep in the state. The third one was Sirsa. It has, however, fielded former IRS officer Sunita Duggal for Sirsa which is a reserved seat.

After its phenomenal win in Haryana in the last parliamentary and state elections despite being a non-entity in this part of the region, the party wants to up the victory quotient and is eyeing a clean sweep, sources say, adding the extensive chaffing of prospective contenders for Rohtak and Hisar. The BJP had bagged seven seats, losing Hisar and Sirsa to regional rival Indian National Lok Dal and Rohtak to Congress.

In Rohtak, the party is faced with a popular face of sitting MP Deepender Singh Hooda from Congress. Son of former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, he has been representing the city which is also his home turf since 2005.

Although the Congress too is yet to announce its candidates, it is final that Deepender will be retained from Rohtak. To counter the three-time MP, the BJP is mulling state ministers Capt Abhimanyu, and OP Dhankar and former Karnal MP Arvind Sharma.

Why Jittery

• BJP does not seem to be in a rush to finalise candidates on two seats -- Rohtak and Hisar
• The party had lost Hisar & Sirsa to regional rival Indian National Lok Dal last time