Out of the three sporting stars fielded by the BJP in the polls, only one managed to secure a victory for the party.
The BJP had fielded Commonwealth wrestling champion Babita Phogat from Dadri, Olympic wrestling medallist Yogeshwar Dutt from Baroda and former national hockey team captain Sandeep Singh from Pehowa. All three were first-time candidates.
Sandeep recorded his maiden election victory from Pehowa seat in Kurukshetra district and defeated Congress candidate Mandeep Singh Chathha by a margin of 5,314 votes.
In Dadri, Babita could secure only third place as an Independent Sombir won the seat. Sombir polled 43,849 votes followed by 29,319 of JJP’s Satpal Sangwan and 24,502 of Babita Phogat.
Olympic medallist Yogeshwar failed to impress the voters as he was defeated by Congress’ Krishan Hooda by 4,840 votes. Dutt was polled 37,530 votes and Krishan Hooda secured 42,379 votes.
The most “famous” celebrity candidate of the BJP — Sonali Phogat — who was contesting from Adampur against Congress’ Kuldeep Bishnoi also lost the election.
Adampur has been the fiefdom of the family of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal and his son Kuldeep Bishnoi was re-elected by a margin of 29,471 votes.
Even the prominent turncoat candidates failed to help the BJP to reach the majority mark. Ex-INLD legislators, who had joined the BJP before elections, including Parminder Singh Dhull (Julana) Ramchander Kamboj (Rania), Naseem Ahmad (Ferozepur Zhirka), Zakir Hussain (Nuh) and Nagendra Bhadana (Faridabad NIT) failed to win their seats.
Another turncoat, Ranbir Gangwa won his Nalwa seat for the saffron patry. SAD MLA Balkaur Singh, who had switched sides to BJP before polls, finished at poor third in Kalanwali (SC) Assembly segment, where Shishpal Singh of Congress registered victory by a margin of 19,243 against his close rival SAD’s Rajinder Singh Desujodha.
Congress defectors and BJP candidate Vinod Bhayana won from Hansi while another defector Bachan Singh Arya, fielded from Safidon lost the polls.
Former INLD Rajya Sabha MP Ram Kumar Kashyap fielded by the BJP from Indri too recorded a victory.
Satish Nandal, who was the district president of INLD, and was fielded from Garhi Sampla Kiloi by the BJP against former Congress Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also lost the polls.