3 veterans, 1 new face: BJP’s chosen ones from Panipat

While the BJP has trusted two sitting MLAs Pramod Vij from Panipat Urban and Mahipal Dhanda from Panipat Rural constituencies and Rajya Sabha member Krishan Lal Panwar from Israna (reserved) constituency one more time, it has fielded a new face, Manmohan Bhadana, from Samalkha seat.

The Congress is yet to declare its candidates but political experts say that the contest may likely be between the Congress and the BJP on all four seats.

Panipat district has four Assembly constituencies – Panipat Urban, Panipat Rural, Israna and Samalkha. While the first two are represented by BJP MLAs, the other two are represented by Congress MLAs.

For Panipat Urban seat, BJP MLA Pramod Vij succeeded in getting the ticket again. As per party sources, Vij was the strongest aspirant in the panel suggested by the party leaders from here. But after the name of former MP Sanjay Bhatia came to fore for the ticket four days ago, he distanced himself from meetings and social media.

Bhatia refused to contest the polls, after which on Wednesday, Vij’s name was declared in the first list. Scores of his supporters gathered at his residence in Friends Colony and celebrated the moment on dhol beats and burst at night.

From Panipat Rural seat, Mahipal Dhanda, a two-time MLA and Panchayat Minister in the state government, succeeded in getting the ticket for the third consecutive time. No other big name of any aspirant was in the list this time.

In Israna (reserved) constituency, the BJP has trusted former minister and Rajya Sabha member Krishan Lal Panwar. There were other aspirants, too, in the list but his name was on the top.

Balbir Balmiki of the Congress, who is the sitting MLA from Israna, is likely to get the party ticket for the second time from here, say sources.

In the Samalkha Assembly constituency, the BJP trusted a new face this time. The BJP has fielded Manmohan Bhadana, son of former minister Kartar Bhadana from this seat. His father Kartar Bhadana represented the seat two times in 1996 and in 2000 but after that, he left Samalkha. Manmohan contested unsuccessfully from Samalkha constituency in 2009 on the BSP ticket.