Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda is reportedly planning to foray into politics under the banner of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to reliable sources within the political party. Speculation is rife that Randeep Hooda is considering candidacy in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Rohtak constituency in Haryana.
The Rohtak Lok Sabha seat, currently held by the BJP and represented by Member of Parliament Arvind Sharma, was won by Arvind Sharma in the 2019 elections. He secured over 47% of the votes, totaling 573,845 votes, defeating Congress’ Deepender Hooda.
Rohtak, located in Haryana, is a stronghold of the Jat community, and it is a district where former Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda wields significant influence. The Jat community has historically dominated the Rohtak seat, with both Deepender Hooda and Bhupinder Hooda having represented it in the Lok Sabha.
For the upcoming elections, Congress is expected to nominate Deepender Hooda as its candidate for Rohtak, banking on substantial support from the constituency. Haryana is currently governed by a coalition government led by the BJP and JJP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured victories in all 10 seats in Haryana.
Despite Congress winning the Rohtak seat in 2014, it failed to retain it in 2019. The BJP’s objective is to regain control of this seat, not only affirming its influence in the Lok Sabha elections but also setting the stage for subsequent assembly elections. A victory in Rohtak would strategically convey that the traditional Hooda stronghold is not impenetrable for the BJP.
