Baroda bypoll: BJP nominates wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt

CHANDIGARH: BJP has nominated ace wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt for Baroda byelection in Sonepat district of Haryana.
Dutt’s name was announced by the party high command on Thursday late evening. He would be filing his nomination papers on Friday in the presence of senior party leaders.
Dutt had also contested October 2019 state assembly polls on saffron party’s ticket and lost with a margin of around 5,000 votes from Congress candidate. A total of 25 candidates had applied for BJP ticket from Baroda. Dutt had been visiting the constituency for more than a month with other party leaders and was front-runner for the ticket. Yogeshwar Dutt had resigned from DSP’s post in Haryana police before joining BJP in October 2019.
Baroda seat has been lying vacant after the demise of sitting MLA and senior Congress leader Sri Krishan Hooda. He died at the age of 74 on April 12 on account of ailments related to advanced age.
While Sri Krishan Hooda had registered 42,566 votes, his nearest rival and ace wrestler, Yogeshwar Dutt of BJP got 37,726 votes in the last assembly polls held in October 2019. Dutt would be BJP-JJP joint candidate.
There are around 1.8 lakh voters in Baroda constituency. It is largely a rural constituency with around 54 villages.