As political parties gear up to finalise candidates for 90 Assembly Constituencies in Haryana, aspiring leaders have started campaigning to muster support within the ranks. During election season, it is common to see leaders quitting one party to join the other. With both the main parties -Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress yet to name their candidates, senior leaders fear turncoats may ruin their chances of getting the nomination. In fact, the entry of the turncoats seems to have delayed the first list of candidates of both parties, which have already held multiple meetings to finalise ticket allocation.

The nomination process for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections will begin from September 5, with candidates allowed to submit their nomination papers until September 12. According to sources, both the parties BJP and Congress are likely to announce their first list of candidates by Wednesday, a day before the start of nomination.

Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which has forged an alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), has announced its first list of candidates on seven seats recently. Senior Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala said that he will file his nomination from Uchana Assembly Constituency on September 5 (first day of the nomination). JJP leadership is working on shortlisting candidates and will soon be released, he added.

Moreover, many leaders of JJP have recently joined the BJP in the hope of getting a ticket. A BJP ticket aspirant said that he feared that the entry of “outsiders” on the eve of the polls would adversely affect the chances of senior party leaders who had worked hard for decades to strengthen the party.

A BJP leader said, “Our karyakartas are always election-ready, motivated by a clear purpose and commitment to the party’s principles. For every BJP Karyakarta, the candidate is always decided—there is no ambiguity. The focus is always on making the Lotus win, as it symbolises the collective effort and unwavering commitment of the BJP family to serve the people.

Talking to reporters, BJP Haryana State president Mohan Lal Badoli made it clear that the party’s focus is on merit and input from grassroots workers. “This approach underscores the BJP’s commitment to recognising hard work and dedication, rather than favouring candidates based on family legacy. Our party firmly believes that those who have earned the respect and trust of grassroots workers are best positioned to represent the people and drive meaningful change,” Badoli added.  

Badoli further said that there is a long list of candidates and the process to shortlist candidates for Assembly elections in the State is taking time as suggestions from every level of the party are being taken, after which the central leadership will take a final decision.

Sources in Congress said that the party will prioritise candidates with strong community ties and a proven record of serving the public. The aim is to choose leaders committed to the welfare of the people, able to address complex constituency challenges.

Kewal Dhingra, a senior Congress leader explained the party’s layered approach: “It includes inviting applications, shortlisting them based on interviews, feedback from leaders, and surveys, which are later screened by the Screening Committee and further narrowed down to be put before the Central Election Committee (CEC), headed by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. The CEC, which includes senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi, is currently engaged in candidate selection for Haryana, Dhingra added

Another Congress leader said that the party’s emphasis is on social engineering, with a focus on new, fresh, and educated faces. “Youth and women will also be a special focus in this election, " he added.  He further said that the criteria for candidate selection are straightforward: “The ticket will be awarded to dedicated party workers who have bravely faced the anti-people policies of the BJP government over the past 10 years and who have strengthened the party at every booth during the Lok Sabha elections. The party has also conducted internal surveys and the names of those who have proven their commitment will be given priority. “As for the new leaders who have recently joined the party, the Congress will be cautious in considering their candidacy,” he added.

Talking to reporters, AICC's Haryana in-charge Depak Babaria said that a final list would be released together by Wednesday. The speculation surrounding Vinesh Phogat would also be laid to rest soon. A list of 49 names was presented by the State's screening committee, out of which 34 have been approved and 15 are pending,"

Babaria further said, "Names of 22 (sitting) MLAs have also been cleared and hopefully the final list will be announced on Wednesday. The criteria for candidatures was based on the winnability of leaders whose names came up in surveys and who had not lost elections more than two times.”

An Aam Aadmi Party leader said that clean image, alignment with party ideology and “winnability” to be the key factors for the party in selecting the party candidates for Haryana polls.

Political Observer opines that the rebellion is not limited to any one party; all those who are denied tickets in their party are in rebellion. BJP and Congress are navigating ticket distribution to avoid a “huge rebel problem".

He further said that in politics, party loyalty is often considered a fundamental principle for elected officials. However, there are instances when political leaders choose to switch parties, leaving their original political affiliation behind. Such occurrences, commonly known as party-switching or party-rebelling, can have significant implications for both the leaders themselves and the voters who elected them. In recent years, there have been notable examples of political leaders switching parties, rebelling against their own party’s established norms and ideologies. These instances can happen at any level. The reasons for party-switching can vary, including differences in policy positions, personal beliefs, or dissatisfaction with their current party’s leadership. It is crucial for political parties to address internal dissent and ensure that their leaders feel heard and valued. Failure to do so can result in significant losses for the party, both in terms of leadership and voter support, Observer added.