Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda filed his nomination for the Haryana Assembly polls from his traditional stronghold Garhi Sampla Kiloi seat in Rohtak on Wednesday and sought people's support in ousting the BJP from power in the "do or die battle".

Another Congress candidate and wrestler Vinesh Phogat, a political greenhorn, filed her nomination papers from the Julana seat.

Besides them, Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, former state Home Minister Anil Vij, State Education Minister Kanwarpal Gujjar, BJP leader OP Dhankar, Congress' Brijendra Singh and the AAP's Anurag Dhanda were among other candidates who filed their nominations on Wednesday.

Thursday is the last day of filing of nominations. Voting for the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held on October 5 and votes will be counted on October 8.

Hooda, a former Chief Minister, was accompanied by his wife Asha Hooda, son Deepender Hooda and daughter-in-law Sweta Hooda during nomination filing. A "havan" was performed before Hooda filed his papers.  

On the other hand, Phogat was accompanied by the Congress' Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda and Sonipat MP Satpal Brahmachari when she filed her nomination.  Phogat said, "Wrestling teaches us not to take the enemy lightly. We worked hard. More than their daughter-in-law, the people of Julana consider me as their daughter." Though Phogat hails from Balali in the Charkhi Dadri district, her in-laws' hometown is Julana. Bakhta Khera village in Julana is the native village of her husband Somvir Rathee.

Before foraying into politics, Phogat (30) retired from wrestling following the shock end to her Paris Olympic campaign. She was the first Indian woman grappler to reach the Olympics final but was disqualified after being found overweight by about 100 grams in her 50-kilogramme category weigh-in.

Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta filed his papers from the Panchkula assembly segment. He was accompanied by party leader and Haryana affairs co-incharge Biplab Kumar Deb. Gupta is seeking re-election from Panchkula.

Haryana Agriculture Minister and BJP leader Kanwar Pal Gujjar filed his nomination for the Jagadhri Assembly seat. Before filing his nomination, he also held a roadshow and a public rally in the constituency.

Sitting Yamunanagar BJP MLA Ghanshyam Dass Arora, Sadhaura Congress MLA Renu Bala and Congress MLA from Radaur Assembly Bishan Lal Saini also filed their nominations. 

Vij filed papers from Ambala Cantt, Congress leader Brijendra Singh from Uchana Kalan, BJP's O P Dhankar from Badli and J P Dalal from Loharu.

BJP's Harvinder Kalyan filed his papers from the Gharaunda seat. He was accompanied by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Another BJP nominee Arti Rao filed her nomination from the Ateli seat, accompanied by her father and Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh.

AAP leader Anurag Dhanda filed his papers from the Kalayat seat. He was accompanied by the party's senior leader Manish Sisodia. Among other candidates, BJP nominee Shakti Rani Sharma filed her papers from the Kalka seat.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which was in talks with the Congress for a pre-poll alliance in Haryana, has so far fielded 41 candidates for the 90-member assembly. Meanwhile, AAP leader Manish Sisodia praised party nominee Anurag Dhanda who has been fielded from the Kalayat seat. Lashing out at the ruling party in Haryana, he alleged, "The BJP has completely lost the trust of people."  "They shut thousands of schools in the state. There is a very bad condition of hospitals and employment. The AAP will form the government in Haryana and the people will vote for a change," the former Delhi deputy chief minister said.

On the Congress and the AAP not being able to stitch an alliance, he said everybody's objective is to defeat the BJP in order to free Haryana from its "misgovernance".  "Some discussions took place on this subject. But in politics, every discussion cannot materialize. Today, we are fighting for all Assembly seats," Sisodia said.

Haryana became "number one" in unemployment and inflation under 10 years of BJP Govt: Hooda

Addressing a gathering after filing his nomination, Bhupinder Hooda lashed out at the BJP government in Haryana, alleging the state has become "number one" in unemployment and inflation in the last 10 years.  "You gave me a chance. Whatever I am today, it is due to you and your blessings. I got a chance to serve Haryana from 2005-2014," he told the people.

The former chief minister said that when the Congress was in power in Haryana, it was "number one" in per capita income, per capita investment, providing jobs, law and order situation and sports activities in the country.  "After 10 years, Haryana today is number one in unemployment and inflation while crime has also increased," he alleged.  Hooda said the Congress will come out with an election manifesto soon that will include raising old-age pension to Rs 6,000, providing LPG cylinders at Rs 500 and 300 units of free electricity.

"I want to fight a battle not for myself but for you and want to make the state number one once again," the senior Congress leader told the gathering. He said the electoral contest in Haryana is between the Congress and the BJP, and asked people to be cautious of "vote katau" (vote cutters). "Five years ago, a 'vote cutter' took 10 seats. This time, not even a single vote is to be wasted," Hooda said. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the Jannayak Janta Party got 10 seats and went to ally with the BJP and form government.

"Again the same conspiracy is being hatched. Earlier, there was one and now there is another one which is the BJP's B-team. So beware of these vote cutters," the former chief minister said. Hooda termed the elections a "do or die battle" and said, "Not just Garhi Sampla Kiloi, you have to take the fight everywhere."