ASSEMBLY POLL 2024: BJP plays Jat card in Rai & Baroda segments, Brahmin card in Ganaur

The BJP played a Brahmin card in Ganaur and Jat card in Rai and Baroda constituencies of the district. The BJP has fielded Pradeep Sangwan, son of BJP’s three-time MP Kishan Singh Sangwan from Baroda constituency; Devender Kaushik, brother of former MP Ramesh Kaushik, from the Gannaur seat and Krishna Gahlot from Rai constituency.

The BJP has fielded Devender Kaushik of Samaspur Gamra village of Ganaur constituency after dropping the ticket of sitting BJP MLA Nirmal Chaudhary.

Kaushik would contest the election for the first time. However, his elder brother Ramesh Kaushik was elected Member of Parliament from Sonepat in 2014 and 2019 on BJP ticket but this time, the BJP dropped his name and fielded Mohan Lal Badoli in the Lok Sabha elections.

The name of Devender Kadyan was on the top of the list of aspirants but the BJP trusted Devender Kaushik. After the ticket was declared, Devender Kadyan resigned from the party and also announced to contest the election independently. The Congress has already fielded former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma from Ganaur constituency. On the other hand, the BJP trusted Pradeep Sangwan, 48, of Nooran Khera village in Baroda Assembly constituency. His father Kishan Singh Sangwan was elected MP three times on BJP ticket from Sonepat in 1998, 1999 and 2004. Pradeep Sangwan had unsuccessfully contested the election from Gohana Assembly constituency in 2008 on the BJP ticket. After that, he joined the Congress. But he again joined the BJP in 2020 during the Baroda by-poll.

Notably, the Baroda Assembly segment is considered to be a bastion of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the Congress has fielded sitting MLA Induraj Narwal from here. The BJP has fielded Krishna Gahlawat, an experienced player in Rai Assembly constituency.

However, she unsuccessfully contested the election from Rai Assembly in 2014 elections. She was elected MLA from Kharkhoda in 1998 and was a Cabinet minister during the Bansi Lal government. She was the chairperson of Haryana Marketing Board from 2016 to 2020. Notably, BJP state president Mohan Lal Badoli is sitting MLA from Rai Assembly segment.

Kaushik files papers from Ganaur

Sonepat: Devender Kaushik filed his nomination from Ganaur Assembly while Ruma Sharma filed her nomination as a covering candidate on Wednesday. Pradeep Sangwan filed his nomination from Baroda constituency and Neetu filed nomination as a covering candidate. Krishna Gahlawat filed nomination from Rai constituency while Balwan Singh filed nomination as a covering candidate.