‘Deepender Hooda three-time MP, but yet to grow out of father’s shadow’

CHANDIGARH: Haryana minister Captain

Abhimanyu

on Monday said he was ready to contest parliamentary elections from Rohtak, Hisar or any constituency if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asked him to.


The minister also called three-time Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda a “seasonal visitor” who could not come out of the shadow of his father and former CM, Bupinder Singh Hooda, even after being in politics for so long.

Abhimanyu claimed that the BJP would win Rohtak seat this time by a “decent margin”. Abhimanyu, who is also BJP’s Punjab in-charge, said the party’s list of candidates for Punjab would be out in two days.

On contesting polls from Rohtak or Hisar.

BJP has not declared candidates on these two seats as party would wait for declaration of candidates by opponents. I will contest only if party will direct me to. BJP is a party of workers and we follow orders only. We will win all 10 seats in Haryana this time, including Rohtak, by a good margin.

How will the BJP win Rohtak?

Deepender could become an MP from Rohtak only because of the government machinery used by his father. He remained a ‘sarkari sansad’ (government legislator) because he remained in Delhi most of the time and never took up issues related to Rohtak constituency for the past five years before any authority in the state or the Centre. I will say Deepender is a “seasonal visitor” to Rohtak who could not come out of his father’s shadow.

What about Bhupinder Hooda’s influence in state?

The former CM has been completely exposed after the February 2016 violence in the state. Instead of resolving the agitation in a peaceful manner, he added fuel to fire, which caused huge losses to society. At that time, being a leader of such a high stature, he was supposed to come forward to guide the people and unite them, but he was not seen in that role. Rather, there is enough evidence to show that he tried to make the situation more vulnerable.

How much time will BJP take to decide its candidates in Punjab?

The names of BJP candidates for three seats are almost final and a formal announcement in this regard will be made in two days.

Why has the BJP not increased its seat share in Punjab?

Our national president (Amit Shah)’s decision was to follow the old formula of three seats with BJP and 10 with SAD. We have not distrubed that formula and decided to contest on three seats as per old arrangments with our alliance partner, Shiromani Akali Dal.

Is late Vinod Khanna’s wife, Kavita, the front-runner from

Gurdaspur

?
Our process for selecting candidates is democratic. A panel of shortlisted candidates has been sent and final names will be declared on the basis of several aspects. Kavita’s name is also in the panel because she has been actively involved in the constituency. She is down to earth and has a connect with people, and never flaunts her status of being the wife of a Bollywood star.