Hoodun It

If anything, Hooda has made an effort to maintain a low profile. He rarely loses his temper in public, is easy with the administration and has kept that typically Jat tendency, to be vindictive with his opponents in check. In the last four odd years, Hooda matched a low profile with a focus on infrastructure development, particularly in the Rohtak, Gurgaon belt. The compensation paid to farmers of Rohtak and Jhajjar by the Reliance SEZ, clearance of new highways and his ability to take advantage of a Congress led government at the Centre to bring new projects to the state has gone down well. 

Another refreshing change for ordinary Haryanavis is his son Deepender Hooda, (now re-elected from Rohtak) who is almost a recluse from the media, even as he has transformed his constituency from a shabby outpost on the fringes of the NCR to a vibrant bustling region, poised on the cusp of big time development. The US educated Deepender who gave up his job to take charge of his father’s constituency is also a close member ofRahul Gandhi’s coterie, a position he has leveraged successfully to bring big ticket development toRohtak.

The only other winner in Haryana is Bhajan lal who contested on the ticket of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) from Hissar. The HJC was formed by his son Kuldeep Bishnoi four years ago when he lost out to Hooda in the race of chief ministership. The INLD led by Chautala has drawn a blank even though the BJP renewed its alliance with it. 

In retrospect, the BJP miscalculated by allying with the hugely unpopular INLD and it is being said that it would have fared better if it had joined hands instead with the HJC. But with Bhajan Lal winning Hissar on his own steam, his return to the Congress cannot be ruled out. If the prodigal son returns, the Congress pockets all ten seats in the state. 

As for the INLD, the regional outfit established by Devi Lal, his heirs appear to have squanderedhis political legacy to such an extent that today no tear is being shed for this once vibrant political party which had its core support among the farming community.

Himachal Pradesh

The BJP has won three out of the four seats of HP, mainly because with just a year in office, the Prem Kumar Dhumal government does not have any major anti incumbency against it. The party is particularly happy over getting Shimla, a traditionalCongress bastion. Former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, who has won from Mandi, is the lone Congressman to win from HP. He has defeated Maheshwar Singh of the BJP, another blue blooded erstwhile Raja of Kullu. Virbhadra contested aLok Sabha election after 29 years, taking over his wife’s Pratibha Singh’s constituency of Mandi.