Haryana Polls Assembly Election: BJP's Pre-Poll Woes Continue As First List Sparks Revolt, Resignations

Haryana Assembly Polls: BJP faces severe backlash in Haryana following its first candidates' list. Senior leaders, including ministers, are resigning due to ticket denials to accommodate outsiders.

Haryana Assembly Election 2024: The BJP's assembly election troubles in Haryana are mounting by the day. The party's first list of candidates only added to the BJP's woes as several senior leaders resigned over denial of tickets. The ruling party is now trying to placate the leaders who still haven't joined any party or filed nominations as independents.

Pass To 'Outsiders' For 'Social Balance' Sparks Exodus

In its first list released on September 4, the BJP dropped at least eight sitting MLAs. BJP's Haryana election co-in-charge Biplab Deb said during a press conference on Thursday that the party sought to strike a social balance in its choice of candidates. He said the party has given space to different communities, such as Jatav, Dhanak, Dalit, Bishnoi, Valmiki, Brahmin, Vaishya, and Sikh. However, the list of 67 candidates sparked massive anger and even tears.

Of these, 18 were turncoats, who recently switched from other parties like JJP, Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, and Bahujan Samaj Party. The fielding of these "outsiders" has sparked a massive exodus from the party, with at least 12 senior leaders, including two ministers, quitting the BJP.

Haryana BJP Stares At Chaos, More Resignations

The BJP in Haryana has steeped into utter chaos with leaders rebelling in at least 16 constituencies. These are Ratia, Rania, Gohana, Indri, Bawani-Khera, Sonipat, Meham, Badhra, Hisar, Tosham, Dabwali, Badhra, Radaur, Uklana, Faridabad, and Safidon. The biggest jolts came a day after the first list was announced when Haryana Power Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala quit and Ratia MLA Laxman Napa switched to the Congress.

While Ranjit Chautala had said earlier that he would contest the Rania seat as an independent if required, Laxman Napa was upset after the Ratia ticket went to Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal. The Rania ticket went to Shishpal Kamboj.

Apart from them, Minister of State for Social Justice Bishambar Valmiki (Bawani-Khera), Indri MLA and BJP's OBC wing chief Karan Dev Kamboj, Shamsher Kharkada from Meham, Gautam Sardana from Hisar, and former Badhra MLA Sukhwinder Sheoran have also resigned. Valmiki in fact, was reduced to tears due to the denial. 

Former Haryana Minister Savitri Jindal, who switched to the BJP from the Congress before the Lok Sabha elections, is also likely to quit and contest the Hisar seat as an independent. The Hisar assembly seat ticket went to sitting MLA and minister Kamal Gupta. Another former minister Kavita Jain, who broke down after being denied a ticket, has also given the top leadership three days to reconsider fielding her from the Sonipat seat, where Nikhil Madan has been fielded. 

Senior BJP leader Shashi Ranjan Parmar was thoroughly upset after being denied the Tosham seat ticket, which went to former MP Shruti Choudhry. In fact, he broke down during an interview. He, too, is likely to quit after meeting his supporters on Friday.

CM Nayab Singh Saini Unhappy With Ladwa?

While CM Nayab Singh Saini said that the party brass was trying to placate the upset leaders, he himself is reportedly jittery over the Ladwa seat. He said that there are too many candidates and only one person can be selected per seat. He said that this was proof of the BJP's acceptance.

"There was a time when we had to go door-to-door for candidates, and today, in each assembly, 10 to 15 representatives want to contest the election. This reflects the strength of the BJP," Biplab Deb said during the press briefing on Thursday.

However, based on historical data, Saini will have an uphill task in Ladwa. The three-election old Ladwa constituency has seen three MLAs from three different parties so far. The BJP has moved him from his current Karnal seat to Ladwa based on the Lok Sabha election results, in which the party raked in around 47% of votes in the Ladwa assembly segment.

The Indian Express, citing sources, reported that Saini did not want to move from Karnal, but the BJP shifted him to accommodate his predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar's close aide Jagmohan Anand.

With just a month remaining for the October 5 Haryana elections, the BJP will have an extremely tough job selecting its candidates for the remaining 23 seats. It also remains to be seen if the BJP revises the names in the first list, owing to the massive rebellion.