ROHTAK: Locked in a multi-corner contest in the Baroda bypoll after Congress fielded Induraj Narwal, a loyalist of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the panchayat of Kathura village failed to convince Kapoor Narwal, an independent candidate, to withdraw his nomination. Both the candidates are not related but belong to two neighbouring villages and belong to the Jat community.
The faceoff between the Jat candidates of neighbouring villages would split the Jat votes and eventually benefit the BJP nominee Yogeshwar Dutt.
The three of the candidates (Congress, INLD & Independent Kapoor Narwal) are Jats while Olympian Yogeshwar Dutt is a Brahmin.
The panchayat was held at Kathura village, one of villages in Baroda assembly segment on Saturday to make efforts to convince Kapoor Narwal, a BJP rebel who is now an independent nominee, to not contest the byelection.
The farming community in the rural areas have upped their ante against tje BJP candidate due to their serious resentment over three agri-marketing laws.
Kapur Narwal told the panchayat that he was betrayed by senior politicians of both the national parties after they did not give him a ticket despite assurances. On this, the panchayat announced it would support his candidature.
Talking to the media, Kapoor Narwal said he had come to Kathura village panchayat meeting to seek blessings of the elders to support him in the byelection. "The village panchayat comprising all communities unanimously agreed to support me as the community candidate,” he claimed.
He said he was called by Congress leadership for party nomination but a conspiracy was hatched to murder his political career. “Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda pushed my case before the leadership but other senior leaders played spoilsport,” he claimed. Meanwhile, Induraj Narwal aka Bhalu did not turn up at the panchayat but the elders from his family had come to seek blessings from the village panchayat.