Bishnoi drives a tractor on way to file nomination in Haryana

Hisar (Haryana), March 21 (IANS) Political leaders use various vehicles like cars and SUVs with sunroofs while going to file their nomination papers. But Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) leader Kuldeep Bishnoi chose to ride his party's election symbol - tractor - literally while going to do so for the Hisar Lok Sabha seat.

Bishnoi could be seen driving the bright yellow-coloured tractor to file his nomination papers and hundreds of supporters gathered here to cheer him. He was accompanied on the tractor by family members and close associates.

The HJC president, who is the son of former state chief minister Bhajan Lal, is seeking re-election. He had won the seat in the 2011 by-election, defeating Indian National Lok Dal nominee Ajay Chautala by a narrow margin of just over 6,300 votes.

"The result of the Hisar seat is a foregone conclusion. The fight of other candidates is for the second and third slots," a confident Bishnoi told media after filing his nomination papers.

The HJC has an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Lok Sabha elections. However, no national-level BJP leader was present when Bishnoi filed his nomination papers.

The Hisar seat will witness an interesting contest April 10 with Ajay Chautala's son Dushyant, 26, in the fray as the INLD candidate. Dushyant is the great-grandson of former deputy prime minister and Haryana strongman Devi Lal and grandson of former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala.

Other main candidates in the fray are former state finance minister Sampat Singh of the Congress and former IAS officer Y.S. Khayalia of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Sampat Singh was earlier a senior leader of the INLD for over three and a half decades before he switched over to the Congress in 2009.

Elections to 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana are to be held April 10.