Gearing up for the general elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took the lead in announcing the name of five candidates to contest from Haryana on Thursday.
Earlier on February 17, the party announced the name of Yogendra Yadav, for Gurgaon. He is being seen as the star campaigner of the party from Haryana in the general elections.
In the list released on Thursday, AAP has announced the name of five candidates Naveen Jaihind, Yudhvir Singh Khyalia, Poonam Chand Ratti, Balwinder Kaur, and Jai Singh from Rohtak, Hisar, Sirsa, Kurukshetra and Sonepat constituencies respectively.
None of the other political parties in the region has announced their candidature till date and under the current circumstances AAP’s urgency in fielding candidates clearly indicates that the party is planning to give a head-on fight to the existing political bigwigs in their constituencies.
Naveen Jaihind of AAP would face sitting congress MP, Deepinder Singh Hooda from Rohtak.
Yudhvir Singh Kyalia a former IAS officer might face Kuldeep Bishnoi, president of Haryana Janhit Congress and the sitting MP from Hisar. However, Bishnoi is not being considered a strong opposition at the moment by the political experts of the region. It is being speculated that Dushyant Chautala grandson of OP Chautala might contest from this seat in the upcoming parliamentary elections, as Ajay Chautala is currently behind bars after being convicted in the teachers’ recruitment scam. Whatever might be the case, current political scenario pitches INlD as a strong contender from this Jat hinterland.
Poonam Chand Ratti, President of Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana might face Ashok Tanwar sitting MP from Sirsa and recently anointed State Congress president. Ratti, has a sound following in the region and might put a good fight making the competition interesting here.
Balwinder Kaur, wife of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) State president Gurnam Singh Chaduni is also being seen as a strong AAP candidate who might face sitting Congress MP Naveen Jindal from Kurkushetra constituency. Her influence in the rural belt of the region will make her a commendable foe any given day.
Jai Singh Thekedar AAP candidate fielded from Sonepat also has a strong hold over his constituency. AAP might have a good chance here as, Congress’ sitting MP, Jatinder Malik is reluctant to contest from the region making things difficult for the Congress.
With the declaration of the name of five candidates, AAP’s number has gone up to six as Yogendra Yadav, the star campaigner of the party in Haryana was given ticket from Gurgaon constituency, making him a strong contender in this Ahirwal region.
However, other national and regional level political parties, including the ruling Congress party, BJP, and principle Opposition party Indian National lok Dal are yet to announce their lists of candidates. All these parties are already holding meetings to churn out the appropriate candidates for the lok Sabha constituencies, in Haryana.
On one hand the Congress and the BJP have decided to announce the list of their candidates soon, but on the other hand INlD supremo, Om Prakash Chautala’s son Abhay Chautala has said that their party will announce the list of candidates only after the announcements of the general elections are made.
Rajeev Godara, chief spokesperson of AAP Haryana said the the party would announce the name of other four candidates within a week.
