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At a core group meeting, sources said BJP leaders did a rethink on several candidates out of the 45 that have been cleared by the CEC so far. (PTI)
Apart from anti-incumbency, the party is battling the perception of being anti-Jat, the farmers’ protest as well as pushback from wrestlers
The BJP has decided to tread carefully before announcing its list of candidates for the Haryana assembly elections on October 5 as it battles anti-incumbency in the state.
On August 29, the BJP’s top brass, including members of the parliamentary board, met at the party headquarters to finalise tickets for the upcoming state elections. If sources are to be believed, the saffron party has cleared close to 45 names out of the 90 seats that are going to polls next month.
Just after the CEC meeting, BJP leaders had suggested that the first list would be out over the last weekend. However, till Monday night, there was no list in sight.
For the BJP, it’s a battle on several fronts. With some new joinings taking place recently, the party may have to rework their ticket formula on certain seats. The BJP also does not want to repeat the Jammu blunder where the list of candidates was first announced and then withdrawn. It has decided that in case a candidate’s ticket is being cut, they need to be taken into confidence and reasoned out with so that there is no embarrassment. Recently, a viral video showed former minister Rao Narbir Singh telling a public rally that he would not mind jumping ship to the Congress for a ticket, stressing that he is “extremely determined” to contest polls.
The BJP held another round of core group meeting in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party president JP Nadda, Union ministers Manohar Lal Khattar and Rao Inderjit Singh, state in-charge Biplab Deb, election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, and co-in-charge Surendra Nagar along with other state leaders at the party office in Delhi.
Sources aware of the development said the party leaders did a rethink on several candidates out of the 45 that have been cleared by the CEC so far.
The BJP is also closely watching the candidate declaration by the Congress which had its screening meeting on Monday.
The saffron party is aware that they will have to do whatever it takes to give tickets to the right candidates so that their chances of winning the assembly elections are maximised. Only candidates who are assured of a win are likely to be given a ticket.
Apart from the anti-incumbency that the BJP is facing after completing two terms in the state and that too without a Jat face as a chief minister, the party is also perceived to be anti-Jat. Problems that have remained largely unsolved include the farmers’ protest over MSP and BJP digging its heels on the issue of wrestlers’ protest.
The polls are scheduled to take place in a single phase on October 5 instead of October 1 as earlier declared. The counting of votes will be on October 8 along with Jammu and Kashmir.
