Haryana News: Will BJP revisit candidate list before October 5 Assembly polls?

Haryana News: Bharatiya Janata Party’s Haryana vice president and Brahmin face from Gurugram, GL Sharma joined Congress, along with many of his supporters, on September 8, dealing yet another blow to the saffron party grappling with dissent and resignations ahead of the October 5 assembly polls.

Prior to that, at least two ministers in the Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government in Haryana resigned amid rebellion within the BJP ahead of assembly polls.

The revolt was reported after the saffron party released on September 4 its first list of 67 candidates for the elections. A week later, there is a possibility of a review of the candidates in some of the 67 seats, according to a report in the Indian Express quoting anonymous party insiders.

Though there is no confirmation of the review, but the report, quoting sources, said that the saffron party is not ruling out the possibility given the scale of discontent in the party over the last few days.

“There is nothing unprecedented in the review of some candidates’ names. It has been happening in the past too. Nothing can be said as of now but this is a possibility,” a source said said the report. It also says that some withing the BJP are not very keen on a review. “Changing names in a list already announced also comes with its own set of problems and does not portray the party to be confident about the elections,” another leader said in the Indian Express report.

‘Turncoats over loyalists’

Among the Haryana BJP leaders who revolted over ticket distribution include state Energy Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala and Minister of State for Social Justice Bishamber Singh Balmiki. The two ministers resigned from the government even as Chief Minister Saini attempted to pacify them.

The grudge expressed by the rebels is that the party has preferred turncoats over loyalists in ticket distribution. The list of 67 names released on September 4, saw the BJP dropping eight sitting MLAs, including the two ministers.

The 90-member Haryana Assembly will go to the polls on October 5. The results will be declared on October 8.

Chautala contested the 2019 Assembly polls in Haryana as an Independent candidate after the Congress denied him a ticket. He joined the BJP after resigning as an MLA, in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections 2024. He was later inducted into the Cabinet. He contested the Lok Sabha polls from Hisar but lost to Congress leader Jai Parkash. He announced his decision to resign as Minister as well as from the primary membership of the BJP after meeting his supporters in Rania.

BJP’s Ratia MLA Lakshman Napa and former Badhra MLA and Charkhi Dadri president Sukhvinder Sheoran, have also resigned from the party. Laxman Napa has also joined the Congress party.

‘BJP has adopted Congress culture’

BJP OBC Morcha state president Karan Dev Kamboj has also quit BJP after being ignored in Indri seat in Karnal district. “Me and my family have been part of BJP since the Jan Sangh days. I worked with dedication and now the party has adopted the Congress culture,” Kamboj told media.

Former state ministers Kavita Jain and Savitri Jindal have also rebelled. Jain reportedly cried in front of her supporters after being denied the party ticket from Sonipat. The BJP has fielded Nikhil Madan, a former Congress member, from the Sonipat seat.

Jindal, mother of industrialist and BJP MP Naveen Jindal, wanted a seat from Hisar but the BJP chose Kamal Gupta, instead.

Resentment in Jammu and Kashmir too

The BJP faced resentment and resignations of its leaders from Jammu and Kashmir over ticket distribution for the upcoming assembly polls in the Union Territory.

Jammu and Kashmiris all set to hold its first Assembly elections for the 90-member assembly in a decade to elect a government after over six years of Central rule. While Kashmir has 47 seats, there are 43 seats in Jammu.

The voting will be held in three phases – September 18, 25 and October 1. The votes will be counted with Haryana on October 8.