Baroda bypoll: Know your candidates

Four prominent candidates — BJP’s Yogeshwar Dutt, former Sonepat zila parishad member Indu Raj Narwal of the Congress, Joginder Singh Malik of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Kapoor Singh Narwal (Independent) — filed their nominations for the November 3 byelection on Friday, the last day to enter the fray.

Yogeshwar Dutt, 37, BJP

Yogeshwar Dutt

The Olympian grappler made his electoral debut in 2019 assembly polls after securing a BJP nomination from Baroda. Dutt, though, lost the election by about 4,800 votes to Congress candidate Sri Krishan Hooda. A Brahmin, his second shot at Baroda hinges on his star value and consolidation of non-Jats in this Jat-dominated constituency. He would take heart from the fact that he is pitted against Jat candidates from two prominent political parties and a Jat Independent candidate giving rise to prospects of a three-way split of Jat votes. Also, Dutt was able to get about 30% votes in 2019 polls.

Indu Raj Narwal

Indu Raj Narwal, 40, Congress

A rank newcomer who got the Congress nomination due to his proximity to former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Hooda. Narwal, a former member of Sonepat zila parishad, was a surprise pick considering Hooda originally pushed for Kapoor Singh Narwal, a turncoat from the Indian National Lok Dal stable who till recently was in the BJP. A Jat, Indu Raj comes from Rindhana in neighbouring Gohana tehsil, a village known to produce international kabaddi players.

Joginder Singh Malik

The INLD has put its money on Malik again, despite the fact that he badly lost the 2019 assembly elections from Baroda. Malik, a Jat candidate, finished a poor fifth securing mere 3,145 votes, less than 3% of the total votes polled. However, he could potentially dent the chances of the Congress candidate by eating into the Jat vote bank.

Kapoor Singh Narwal

Kapoor Singh Narwal, 62, Independent

A turncoat who was hankering for a Congress nomination, Kapoor Singh Narwal’s entry as an Independent in the by-election could prove significant. His last outing from Baroda in 2014 was on an INLD ticket when he finished runner-up, losing by about 5,100 votes, to the Congress candidate, securing about 37% votes. Narwal, who comes from Kathura, a village with about 6,000 votes, has the potential to hurt the prospects of the Congress candidate.