This Article is From Oct 15, 2014

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Plays Badminton as Haryana Votes

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Plays Badminton as Haryana Votes

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda plays badminton in Rohtak

New Delhi: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda looked relaxed today at his morning game of badminton, as his state began to vote for a new government. The 67-year-old said he was "confident" that his Congress would win a third straight term.

Mr Hooda is in fact fighting the toughest electoral battle that Haryana has seen in years, with the BJP determined to wrest power on its own for the first time ever.

In the first major state elections since Mr Modi won the BJP a record win in the national elections this year, the party has built its election pitch both in Haryana and in Maharashtra which is also voting today, around the appeal of the Prime Minister, who addressed a blitz of rallies.  

"Lok Sabha polls are completely different from Assembly polls. Modi is not contesting for the CM's post here. For the first time I've seen a PM campaigning at this level...it felt like Modi was fighting for the CM's post in Haryana," said Mr Hooda this morning.

Today the BJP, which dumped its local partner Kuldeep Bishnoi's Janhit Congress to fight solo, is slugging it out with both the Congress and OP Chautala's Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).

There is tight security all over the state - chaos was reported in a village in Narnaund constituency where the BJP alleged booth capturing by the INLD.

The BJP has in the fray Captain Abhimanyu, a former Armyman and Jat leader seen as a candidate for chief minister should the party win.

Apart from Mr Hooda, top contestants from the Congress include Randeep Surjewala, party spokesperson and industrialist Navin Jindal's mother Savitri Jindal.

The INLD is fielding Mr Chautala's son Abhay, daughter-in-law Naina and grandson Dushyant.

In Haryana, 1,351 candidates are fighting for 90 assembly seats; over 1.63 crore voters, including 87.37 lakh women, 88,662 service voters and 12 NRI's can vote today. Counting of votes will take place on October 19.
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