Two women candidates figure in the Bahujan Samaj Party’s list of 41 candidates released on Sunday for the Haryana Assembly polls, scheduled to be held on October 21.

Loktantra Suraksha Party (LSP) led by former Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini has also released its first list of 16 candidates while Swaraj India released another list comprising 14 candidates for the assembly elections.

Out of the first list of 41 candidates announced by BSP for the elections, 12 candidates have been named from the reserved constituencies in the state.

The list has been cleared by BSP supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, BSP’s state unit president Prakash Bharti said.

The two women candidates — Shakuntala Bhatti and Sunita Dhull — have been fielded from Shahbad (SC) and Pundri segments, respectively.

Notably, the BSP had called off its alliance with the fledgling Jannayak Janata Party recently and decided to contest the polls to the 90-member Assembly independently.   

The Loktantra Suraksha Party, which is also contesting the assembly polls, on Sunday announced names of 16 candidates for the assembly polls.

“The party’s state vice president and former DSP Karta Ram Kashyap will contest from Indri, state party’s general secretary Rajkumar Sharma from Rai, former MLA Bharat Singh Chokar from Samalkha, party’s national general secretary Dr Satish Yadav from Badshahpur,” said Raj Kumar Saini.

“We have given the preference to all castes in ratio of their population. Out of 16 candidates, 10 belong to backward class while four are from scheduled caste,” he said while affirming faith on his candidates.

Saini added that out of total 90 seats, 45 will be allotted to backward classes and 18 to Scheduled castes candidates.

While releasing another list of candidates, Swaraj India's executive president Ajit Jha said the party has maintained its selection criteria strictly. None of the candidates selected by a three-member-selection committee is from financially influenced family or has any political family background, he said.

Swaraj India has so far announced 40 candidates for the assembly elections, he said.

While the main contest for the next month’ elections is seen between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the main opposition Congress, other players in the poll ring include the Indian National Lok Dal, JJP formed after a vertical split in the INLD, AAP, BSP, Swaraj India party

and the LSP.