Haryana Polls: BJP Releases First Candidates List, CM Saini To Contest From Ladwa, Anil Vij From Ambala Cantt

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday released its first list of 67 candidates for the upcoming Haryana legislative assembly elections, including Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who will contest from Ladwa. The list also includes former minister Anil Vij, Bhavya Bishnoi, and Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh’s daughter Aarti Rao.

As per the list, former state home minister Vij will contest from Ambala Cantt seat, while Rajya Sabha MP Kartikeya Sharma’s mother, Shakti Rani Sharma has been fielded from Kalka seat.

Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta has been fielded from Panchkula, former Speaker Kanwar Pal Gurjar from Jagadhri, former Lok Sabha member Sunita Duggal from Ratia, Bhavya Bishnoi from Adampur, and Tejpal Tanwar from Sohna.

However, former captain of the Indian national hockey team, Sandeep Singh, has been dropped from Pehowa seat. Instead of Singh, Sardar Kamaljeet Singh Ajrana would contest on the BJP ticket from the constituency. Additionally, Kabbadi player Deepak Hooda has been given a ticket from Meham.

Three former MLAs of JJP–Devender Singh Babli (Tohana), Ram Kumar Gautam (Safidon), and Anoop Dhanak (Uklana)–who recently switched to the saffron camp have also been given tickets.

The BJP has dropped nine MLAs including a sitting minister.

The BJP’s list comes hours after Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) released its first list of 19 party candidates in alliance with Azad Samaj Party. Former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala will contest from Uchana Kalan, from where he is a sitting MLA. While 15 candidates on the list were from the JJP, four were from the Chandra Shekhar Azad-led ASP.

Haryana assembly elections

The Election Commission last week revised the polling day for Haryana Assembly polls from October 1 to October 5, 2024.

Here’s the complete revised schedule for Haryana assembly polls:

Issue of notification: 5 September

Last date of notification: 12 September

Scrutiny of nomination: 13 September

Last date of withdrawal of candidature: 16 September

Date of poll: 5 October

The Election Commission, earlier, on August 16 announced that Assembly polls in Haryana would be held in a single phase on October 1 and the results would be declared on October 4.