In poll year, Hooda faces desertions, detractors

Sharma is the father of Jessica Lal murder convict Manu Sharma. He has been a minister in the Hooda government earlier.

With Haryana surrounding Delhi from three sides, controversial land deals in the name of Haryana's development is what the Hooda government has been blamed for in recent years.

Some of these deals done by Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra made national headlines in 2012 and 2013 after controversial IAS officer Ashok Khemka exposed them.

What is painful for Hooda is that all this is happening in a year when he faces the Lok Sabha election (April-May) and assembly elections (October).

With growing sentiment against the Congress and Hooda's government, things are unlikely to be easy for Hooda and the Congress in Haryana this time.