Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi:The BJP on Wednesday released its first list of 67 candidates for the Haryana Assembly polls, fielding Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini from Ladwa in Kurukshetra district. Saini, who replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as the CM in March this year, is currently the MLA from Karnal.
The saffron party has renominated senior party leader Anil Vij from Ambala Cantt and fielded former Lok Sabha MP Arvind Sharma in Gohana.
The ruling party has rewarded Congress turncoats including second and third-generation leaders from powerful political families of Haryana.
Former chief minister Bhajan Lal's grandson Bhavya Bishnoi has been given a ticket from Adampur Sahib. Another former CM and Congress stalwart Bansi Lal's grand-daughter Shruti Choudhry will contest from Toshan.
Shruti is a former MP who won the 2009 LS elections on a Congress ticket. She along with her mother and former minister Kiran Choudhry quit Congress last month to join the BJP. Kiran Choudhry was sent to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP in the recent bypolls to the Upper House.
Union Minister Rao Inderajit Singh's daughter Arti Singh Rao will be the BJP candidate in Ateli.
Amongst BJP old-timers, former state minister Capt. Abhimanyu will enter the electoral fray from Narnaud while former state president and BJP national secretary OP Dhankar has been nominated from Badli.
The party has given tickets to nine women in its first list of 67 candidates in the House of 90. Candidates in 13 reserved seats for the Scheduled Castes have also been announced.
The voting in the single-phase election will be held on October 5. The counting will take place on October 8.