BJP names 67 in 1st list for Haryana; Nayab Singh Saini from Ladwa, Anil Vij Ambala Cantt

The BJP on Wednesday fielded CM Nayab Singh Saini from Ladwa and rewarded at least 10 turncoats with the party ticket as it released the first list of 67 candidates for elections to the 90-member Haryana Assembly.

In Karnal, which is currently represented in the Assembly by CM Saini, the BJP has fielded Jagmohan Anand, a Punjabi face and a loyalist of Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

BJP sources said keeping winnability in mind, the party had reposed faith in most senior party leaders. Only three ministers — Ranjit Singh (Rania), Bishamber Balmiki (Bawani Khera) and Sanjay Singh (Sohna) — and four MLAs — Sandeep Singh (Pehowa), Nirmal Rani (Gannaur), Sudhir Singla (Gurugram) and Deepak Mangla (Palwal) — have been dropped.

10 Party hoppers rewarded

• Devender Babli (Tohana) | Sanjay Kablana (Beri) | Shruti Choudhry (Tosham) | Shakti Sharma (Kalka) | RK Gautam (Safidon) | RK Kashyap (Indri) | Nikhil Madan (Sonepat) | Anoop Dhanak (Uklana) | Sunil Sangwan (Dadri) | SS Rana (Radaur)

Political dynasts on list

• Shruti Choudhry, daughter of party’s Rajya Sabha MP Kiran Choudhry, to contest from Tosham; Bhavya Bishnoi, son of Kuldeep Bishnoi, from Adampur; Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh's daughter Arti Singh Rao from Ateli.

BJP kisan cell chief quits

• Soon after the release of its first list of candidates, the BJP suffered a setback with party’s state kisan cell chief Sukhvinder Sheoran resigning from his post. He was denied ticket from the Badhra Assembly constituency

As expected, Arti Singh Rao, daughter of Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh, will make her political debut from Ateli. The ministers retained by the party included Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt), Aseem Goel (Ambala City), Kanwar Pal Gujjar (Jagadhri), Subhash Sudha (Thanesar), Mahipal Dhanda (Panipat Rural), Abhe Singh Yadav (Nangal Choudhary), JP Dalal (Loharu), Kamal Gupta (Hisar), Mool Chand Sharma (Ballabhgarh) and Gian Chand Gupta (Panchkula).

Other senior leaders who have been nominated are Harvinder Kalyan (Gharaunda), Krishan Lal Panwar (Israna), Arvind Sharma (Gogana), Sunita Duggal (Ratia), Bhavya Bishnoi (Adampur), Capt Abhimanyu (Narnaund), Ranbir Gangua (Barwala), Om Prakash Dhankar (Badli), Rao Narbir Singh (Badshahpur) and Vipul Goel (Faridabad).

The turncoats who got the ticket are Shakti Rani Sharma, wife of former Union minister Venod Sharma from Kalka, Ram Kumar Kashyap (Indri), Nikhil Madan (Sonepat), Ram Kumar Gautam (Safidon), Devinder Babli (Tohana), Anoop Dhanak (Uklana), Sunil Sangwan (Dadri), Shruti Choudhry (Tosham), Sanjay Kablana (Beri) and Shyam Singh Rana (Radaur).

State party chief Mohan Lal Badoli said winnability was the only criteria for the selection of candidates. He said the list showcased a judicious mix of experience and youth.

Other prominent candidates who figured on the first list of BJP candidates are Santosh Sarwan (Mullana), Ghanshyam Dass Arora (Yamunanagar), Kamlesh Dhanda (Kalayat), Leela Ram Gurjar (Kalayat), Pramod Vij (Panipat City), Manmohan Bhadana (Samalka), Krishan Lal Middha (Jind), Shishpal Kamboj (Rania), Vinod Bhayana (Hansi), Ranbir Panihar (Nalwa), Ghanshyam Sharaf (Bhiwani), Kapur Balmiki (Biawani Khera), Garghi Sampla Kiloi (Manju Hooda), Laxman Napa (Rewari), Mahesh Sharma (Gurugram) and Tek Chand Sharma (Prithla).