BJP & HLP join forces for Sirsa municipal elections
After much tension between local BJP leaders and the Kanda brothers, an alliance was formed between the BJP and the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) for the upcoming municipal elections in Sirsa, with both parties contesting the election under the BJP’s “lotus” symbol.
This decision was announced by BJP’s district president, Shishpal Kamboj, at a press conference on Saturday evening. The conference also saw the presence of BJP leader Gobind Kanda, brother of former minister Gopal Kanda, and HLP district president Jai Singh Kusumbi. A notable moment during the press conference was seeing Gobind Kanda and BJP leader Aman Chopra together, despite their previous public disagreements. In his address, Shishpal Kamboj also announced the names of all 32 candidates for the ward councillor positions in Sirsa. These candidates will contest the election under the BJP’s “Lotus” symbol. Nomination papers for both chairperson and ward candidates will be filed on February 17 at 11 am.
For the role of chairperson, the BJP has selected Shanti Swaroop Valmiki as its candidate. His nomination has been supported by Gopal Kanda’s HLP. It is important to note that in this election, all HLP supporters will contest under the BJP’s symbol. This marks a significant shift, as in previous elections, HLP candidates like Reena Sethi won the chairperson’s position and several ward seats. If the BJP wins, both the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson positions will likely be held by BJP candidates. Despite previous support from BJP during the 2024 Assembly elections, where they did not field a candidate against Gopal Kanda, the alliance has now brought the HLP fully under the BJP umbrella in the municipal elections. After receiving his ticket, Shanti Swaroop Valmiki expressed his gratitude towards Gopal Kanda and Gobind Kanda for their support in securing the nomination. He mentioned that the Kanda brothers would be responsible for the election strategy, and together, they would work to establish a “triple-engine” government in Sirsa.
In a major shift, the opposition Congress party has decided not to field candidates for ward councillors. Instead, they will only contest the chairman’s position. On Saturday evening, the Congress party released its list of candidates, naming Jaswinder Kaur as their candidate for the chairperson of the Sirsa Municipal Council. According to sources, the lack of enthusiasm among party workers was clear, as the Congress only received 17 applications for 32 ward positions. This low response forced the party to rethink its strategy. HLP leader Gopal Kanda emphasised that local elections depended on the influence of ward leaders. He urged the people of Sirsa to support the government in power.
Meanwhile, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) has named Praveen Kumar Turkia (Lucky Chaudhary) as its candidate. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), led by Abhay Chautala, has yet to announce its candidate.
