Intense parleys among big wigs in state BJP

In the wake of the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which reportedly finalised the first list of candidates for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s top brass in Haryana convened a series of intense meetings on Friday.

The day’s deliberations saw Chief Minister Nayab Saini, Haryana BJP President Mohan Lal Badoli, Assembly Election In-Charge Biplab Deb, Haryana BJP In-Charge Satish Poonia, and Organization General Secretary Phanindra Nath Sharma gathering at the residence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is also the BJP’s Haryana Election In-Charge. These high-level meetings reflect the party’s careful calculations as it prepares to navigate the political landscape of Haryana.

According to sources within the party, there is significant internal pressure for Chief Minister Nayab Saini to contest from Karnal, a seat he currently represents. Party insiders believe that Saini, who is willing to contest from Ladwa of Kurukshetra district, stepping away from Karnal could send a detrimental signal, potentially undermining the party’s strength in the region.

In parallel, senior BJP leader Rao Inderjit Singh is reportedly pushing for a larger share of the party’s ticket allocations, reflecting the internal jockeying for influence as the election approaches.

Meanwhile, Olympic medalist and BJP leader Yogeshwar Dutt has thrown his hat into the ring, expressing his desire to contest from the Gohana Assembly Constituency. Dutt, who has a history of electoral participation with the BJP, stated, “I have expressed my wish to contest elections to the Chief Minister and the central leadership. I am a sportsperson and an Olympic medallist, and I have contested elections from BJP earlier also, so I want to get a chance.”

However, Dutt’s aspirations have stirred a potential conflict within the party, as former MP Arvind Sharma is also eyeing the Gohana seat. This internal competition is expected to pose a challenge for the BJP’s high command as it seeks to balance the ambitions of its leaders with the broader electoral strategy.

Sources indicate that the CEC has finalized candidates for 55 seats, with another meeting expected on Saturday to finalize the remaining names.

Both the BJP and Congress are playing a high-stakes game of “wait and watch” as they approach the announcement of their respective candidate lists for the Haryana Assembly elections. With both parties keen to avoid potential poaching, they are strategically delaying their announcements. There are reportedly about 15 seats where leaders from both parties are at risk of being lured away by the opposition, if denied ticket, adding to the tension and the delay in finalizing candidates.

Speaking to the media, Haryana BJP State President Mohanlal Badoli remarked, “We will have to wait two more days for the finalization of candidate names. We are doing our homework, but the final decision will be made by the central leadership as a high level meeting of the party’s top leadership likely next week”. The nomination process set to begin following the gazette notification on September 5 and the last date for nominations being September 12.