INLD Fields Wrestling Legend Anup Dahiya for Sonepat, Awaits Congress List

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) on Sunday named former Indian wrestling team coach and Dronacharya awardee Anup Singh Dahiya as its candidate from the Sonepat Lok Sabha seat, in a move seen as a smart ploy to woo Jat voters and the sports fraternity.

Announcing candidates for three parliamentary constituencies, INLD state chief Ram Pal Majra and senior leader Abhay Chautala said that Sunil Tewetia, a heir of the erstwhile Ballabhgarh royal family, will contest from Faridabad, while Sandeep Lot will be the party's nominee from Sirsa.

"Dahiya, who retired as the SP from the Haryana Police, is also a winner of the President's Police Award. His fielding from Jatland Sonepat is seen as a smart move by the party to woo the Jats and the sports fraternity, as the wrestling coach enjoyed goodwill among the people, having coached several international sports stars, including Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Satyavrat Kadian, and Amit Dahiya," Majra said.

Meanwhile, Abhay Chautala pledged support for the prominent leader Varinder Maratha, saying the INLD would back him irrespective of the party he contests from. An NCP leader, Maratha is eyeing the Karnal Lok Sabha seat from the INDIA bloc, though the Congress is also set to name its candidate from the constituency, where former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is contesting on a BJP ticket. Chautala's support for Maratha is seen as an attempt to secure votes from the Rode community in Kurukshetra, from where Chautala himself is contesting. 

Majra asserted that the party was 'withholding' names for four other parliamentary segments, including Karnal, Rohtak, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, and Gurugram, due to 'pressing political circumstances'. Sources, however, indicated that the INLD is awaiting the Congress list before declaring its candidates for these seats, with the names expected to be announced on April 26. "The candidates for these seats will be declared on April 26," Majra said. In another development, Santosh Dahiya, president of Mahila Sarv Khap, promised to support the INLD in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.