Deepender Hooda (Congress) and Ashok Tanwar (BJP) File Nomination Papers for Lok Sabha Polls

Congress candidate Deepender Singh Hooda and BJP nominee Ashok Tanwar filed nominations for the Lok Sabha polls from Rohtak and Sirsa seats in Haryana. Hooda targeted BJP rival Arvind Sharma over the Sainik School issue, while Tanwar expressed gratitude for support. Hooda was accompanied by his father and former CM, while Tanwar filed his nomination with CM Nayab Singh Saini and others. The Congress has fielded Hooda from Rohtak and Kumari Selja from Sirsa, contested by BJP's Sharma and Sunita Duggal respectively.

Congress candidate Deepender Singh Hooda and BJP nominee Ashok Tanwar on Saturday filed their nomination papers from the Rohtak and Sirsa seats respectively for the Lok Sabha elections.

Polling for 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana will take place on May 25.

Hooda was accompanied by his father and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan and party MLA BB Batra while filing the nomination papers at Rohtak.

The Congress has fielded Hooda, a Rajya Sabha MP, from the Rohtak parliamentary constituency, which is currently represented by Bharatiya Janata Party's Arvind Sharma. He had unsuccessfully contested from the Rohtak seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Before going to file the nomination, Hooda performed 'puja' and 'havan' as per traditional rituals along with his family.

After filing his nomination papers, Hooda addressed a public meeting at Ambedkar Chowk.

Addressing those gathered, Hooda said targeted his BJP rival Sharma over the establishment of a Sainik School in the constituency.

Saying that Sharma has demanded a Sainik School from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh before filing his nomination, Hooda, in a referrence to the Agnipath scheme, said: ''How can the BJP government, which has abolished permanent recruitment in the Army, be expected to set up Sainik Schools.

Generally the candidate of the ruling party tells what work he has done in the last five years and the candidate of the opposition party tells what work he will do for the development of the area in the coming five years, Hooda said.

''The sad thing is that the current BJP MP has not done any work. But we are going among the people by speaking about our work,'' he said.

''I am telling you both about the work I did in the last tenure and what I will do in my coming term. Both my work and my conduct is before the people. The public's blessings given on the basis of my work and conduct will not go in vain,'' the Congress leader added.

Hooda said this election is to save the future of Haryana, to put Rohtak Lok Sabha constituency on the development map of the country and to save the Constitution.

''The result here will lay the foundation for the next government of Haryana,'' he stated.

Former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, ''This is not just the Lok Sabha elections, but a fight to save the Constitution of the country.'' ''Democracy will survive only if the Constitution survives. That is why the opposition parties have united and formed the INDIA alliance. In Haryana, this alliance is contesting the elections with full strength, and people have decided to bless the India alliance against BJP,'' Bhupinder said.

Earlier, a large number of party supporters accompanied Hooda on his way to the Deputy Commissioner's office to file his nomination.

BJP nominee from Sirsa, Tanwar, was accompanied by Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, BJP candidate from Hisar, Ranjit Singh Chautala, and Sirsa MLA and Haryana Lokhit Party chief Gopal Kanda when he filed his nomination papers.

''I express my gratitude to the people for their unprecedented love and support. Sirsa's faith in Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji was firm and will remain so,'' said Tanwar in a post on X.

Tanwar, a former MP from Sirsa, had quit the AAP and joined the BJP earlier this year. Before that, he had quit the Congress in 2019 and joined AAP in 2022. In between, he had floated his party and even joined the Trinamool Congress for a brief period. The seat is presently represented by BJP's Sunita Duggal.

From Sirsa, the Congress has fielded party general secretary and former Union minister Kumari Selja.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)