New Delhi: The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) on Tuesday announced names of five candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Haryana. Among the notable names announced is two-time MLA Naina Singh Chautala, who will be contesting from Hisar against her relative and BJP candidate Ranjit Singh Chautala. Naina Chautala, the wife of JJP chief Ajay Singh Chautala and mother of former Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, will face her uncle-in-law in the electoral battle.
Additionally, the JJP has nominated rapper Rahul Fazilpuria, known for his hit song "Kar Gayi Chull" from the movie Kapoor and Sons, as its candidate from Gurugram constituency. Other candidates announced include former MLA Ramesh Khatak for the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat and former Congress MLA Rao Bahadur Singh for the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency, who recently joined the JJP, reported PTI.
Singer Rahul Yadav Fazilpuriya has been nominated as the candidate from Gurugram, while JJP youth leader Nalin Hooda will contest from Faridabad, according to a statement released by the party. The Lok Sabha elections for all 10 seats in Haryana are scheduled for the sixth phase on May 25.
Naina Chautala, who hails from the Chautala family, currently serves as the MLA from Badhra in Charkhi Dadri district and has previously represented the Dabwali seat. Notably, another member of the Chautala family, Sunaina Chautala, is expected to be fielded from the Hisar seat by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), potentially setting up a familial contest against relative Ranjit Chautala.
If confirmed, this would see two daughters-in-law of the Chautala clan competing against their relative in the upcoming elections.
Sunaina Chautala, the general secretary of the INLD women's wing, is married to Ravi Chautala, who is a cousin of Abhay Chautala and the son of late Partap Singh Chautala, Om Prakash Chautala's younger brother. BJP candidate Ranjit Chautala, aged 78 and a former Independent MLA, recently joined the BJP.
He is the son of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal and the brother of INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala, who served as the Chief Minister of Haryana. Brijendra Singh, who recently switched from the BJP to the Congress, currently represents the Hisar seat in the Lok Sabha.
In the 2019 general elections, Dushyant Chautala, the sitting MP at the time, lost to Brijendra Singh from Hisar. Meanwhile, in Ambala, JJP senior leader Digvijay Singh Chautala expressed optimism among party workers, stating that the JJP has fielded strong candidates for the five Lok Sabha seats and plans to announce candidates for the remaining five seats soon.
He highlighted the achievements of the JJP since its formation over five years ago, noting the party's growth and milestones during this period.
In Ambala, according to a party statement, he told party workers that they should focus completely on the Lok Sabha elections as these are semi-final before the Assembly polls are held in Haryana later this year.
Ajay Chautala and Dushyant Chautala formed the JJP in December 2018 after a split in the INLD earlier that year following a feud in the Chautala family. In 2019, the JJP extended support to the BJP after the saffron party fell short of the majority mark in the assembly elections. The BJP-JJP alliance ended last month after which the JJP leadership said it would field its candidates on all 10 seats in Haryana.