Dog Lover & Shehnaz Gill Fan: Manju Hooda, BJP Candidate Opposite Bhupinder Hooda, Is More Than A Gangster's Wife

Any political contest against a heavyweight draws attention. But Garhi Sampla-Kiloi assembly seat in Haryana’s Rohtak, from where former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is fighting election, has garnered even more interest because of who the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded against him — Manju Hooda.

A political newbie in terms of experience, Manju has seen both — crime and crime control. The young BJP candidate is the wife of history-sheeter Rajesh Hooda while she is also the daughter of former Deputy Superintendent of Police Pradeep Yadav. Rajesh has more than a dozen cases of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and robbery registered against him in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. But the BJP candidate shrugs off saying her “husband has not done anything in the last 10 years to hurt anyone personally”.

But beyond being a wife and a husband, who is Manju Hooda? The young candidate is relatively new to the political arena with just two years of experience in politics. Her first electoral win was in a municipal poll, where she won from Ward No. 5 of Rohtak by getting 9,333 votes. Right now, she is the chairperson of Rohtak Zila Parishad.

But is it enough to challenge a four-time MLA and former chief minister? Manju, who shares the same surname with his opponent, has said she is “confident”. “In the last few years, I have done work that speaks for itself, brought development that people can see. I am going to the election with that track record of ‘Vikas’,” she told News18. She added that she despises personal attacks which she will steer clear of and will seek the blessings of the Congress candidate as well.

While Manju’s husband’s past and late fathers’ profession has been widely talked about, very few know her persona. She is an absolute canine lover and has strong views against animal abuse. While she has a dog at home, she regularly feeds stray dogs — a fact everyone knows in Rohtak.

Manju calls herself a “traditional woman with a modern outlook”, something that made her take the initiative of installing sanitary pad vending machines in different parts of Rohtak. But beyond her duties, she is a fan of actor Shehnaz Gill who shot to fame through Big Boss 13, say people close to her. They have also told News18 that Manju also likes the works of social media influencer Karishma whose reels garner huge traction online.

She is also a devout Hindu and known to flaunt her religious beliefs by taking part in various rituals. But are these enough to challenge someone who has been a four-time MLA? In the 2019 assembly election, Bhupinder Singh Hooda defeated his nearest candidate with a margin of 58,312 votes by receiving nearly 66 per cent vote share.

The BJP thinks two things can work for Manju Hooda — she is a Yadav as well as a Hooda that will appeal to OBC and Jat votes. The BJP is also banking on the woman factor.

But the clout of Bhupinder Hooda can be gauged from the fact that soon after BJP nominated her from the same seat, a majority of members of Rohtak Zila Parishad sought to remove Manju Hooda through a no-confidence motion, citing dissatisfaction with her performance. “The zila parishad members may be influenced by the Congress, but it will not affect my thinking and functioning,” she said trying to sound confident.

But for the BJP’s Hooda, defeating senior Hooda won’t be an easy task.