BJP holds back Hisar, Rohtak names, to let rivals decide first

CHANDIGARH: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced candidates for eight of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana on Saturday, but held back the names for Rohtak and Hisar seats as, according to a source in the saffron party, it wants opponents to name candidates first.
Former CM and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda's son, Deepender, is a three-time MP from Rohtak, while Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala represents Hisar.Sources confirmed to TOI that the BJP wanted to nominate a candidate from the Jat community on one of these two seats and the final decision would be taken after the announcement of nominees by other parties, especially Congress.
For Rohtak seat, the BJP has shortlisted three leaders - former MP Arvind Sharma, who recently joined BJP, and state ministers O P Dhankar and Captain Abhimanyu, said sources. They added BJP was planning to field Brijender Singh, son of Union minister Birender Singh, and former Nalwa MLA Ranbir Singh Gangwa, who recently switched his loyalties to BJP, from Hisar.
Sources said the party might choose a Jat leader from Hisar, especially in case the Congress chooses a non-Jat leader. Brijender is a strong candidate as his mother is the MLA from Uchana, a Jat-dominated assembly seat that comes under Hisar Lok Sabha seat. Earlier, Brijender had been shortlisted for Sonipat, but the fielded incumbent MP Ramesh Kaushik from the seat on Saturday.
BJP's vote bank in non-Jat community may help him sail through. In the previous Lok Sabha polls, Dushyant, a Jat leader, won after the election turned into a Jat-versus-non-Jat fight. There are nine state assembly seats under Hisar parliamentary segment, and Jats have a significance presence in Uchana, Narnaund, Uklana and Barwala. The saffron lost both these seats in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and would try to register its victory on least at one seat.
Though Congress has not declared its candidate, it is clear it would renominate Deepender, who has been representing Rohtak parliamentary seat since 2005.