BJP weighs options for key Hisar Lok Sabha seat

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, March 4

The Hisar Lok Sabha constituency, where clans of the prominent political families have slugged it out in previous contests, has witnessed an intense lobbying for the ticket in the main political parties, including the ruling BJP.

2019 results

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• Brijendra Singh (BJP) winner
• Dushyant Chautala JJP (second)
• Bhavya Bishnoi Cong (third)

Total votes this time 17,63,715

Male 8,21,531 Female 9,42,184

Sources said the names of four leaders of the BJP were in the race for the BJP ticket from the Hisar Lok Sabha seat. Besides sitting MP Brijendra Singh, former Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu, Deputy Speaker Ranbir Gangwa and former MP Kuldeep Bishnoi were in the list of probable candidates for the BJP in Hisar. The Energy Minister Ranjeet Singh who is an independent MLA from the Rania Assembly segment in Sirsa district, too could be a surprise pick of the BJP.

While sitting MP Brijendra Singh, who is the son of former Union minister Birender Singh, has gone on an overdrive with back-to-back meetings in the entire Lok Sabha segment in recent days. An IAS-turned-politician, Brijendra was given a ticket by the BJP after his father opted out of the electoral politics in 2019.

Former Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu too has embarked on a hectic tour in the Lok Sabha segment. His supporters claimed that he was a strong contender for the Lok Sabha ticket. He has worked closely with the Union Home minister, Amit Shah, especially in Uttar Pradesh in 2014 and 2019 and again during the recent Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has also visited his native village Khanda Kheri to attend an event recently.

Deputy speaker Gangwa and former MP Bishnoi are also among the probables shortlisted by the state party. These two leaders can be in contention in case the BJP opts to go for a non-Jat face for the Hisar Lok Sabha seat. Gangwa had defected to the BJP from the INLD before 2019 Assembly polls and was a two-time MLA and also served as the Rajya Sabha MP once. He belongs to the Other Backward Community (OBC). Bishnoi, who dumped the Congress to join the BJP in 2022 was also a serious contestant for the party ticket. His son Bhavya Bishnoi is the BJP MLA from Adampur. Bishnoi who is a three time MLA from Adampur and won theHisar Lok Sabha seat in bypoll in 2011, had lost to (then) INLD candidate Dushyant Chautala in 2014.

However, the JJP has also opened its election office in Hisar. During the election opening ceremony, JJP supremo Ajay Singh Chautala on February 27, claimed that they were part of the NDA and added that the parties (BJP and JJP) would take the decision about contesting the poll after sitting together.