People of the State will choose their next Government today as the ruling BJP is locked in a contest with the Opposition Congress and the fledgling JJP for the 90 Assembly seats that will go to polls in Haryana.
While the Congress is hoping to make a comeback, the BJP has set a target to bag at least 75 seats in the contest in which 1,169 candidates of various political outfits are in the fray. The Dushyant Chautala-led JJP, a breakaway faction of the INLD, is also hoping for an improvement in its prospects following the Lok Sabha debacle. The party had emerged on the scene following a feud in the Chautala clan in Decamber last year.
The BSP, AAP, INLD-SAD combine, Swaraj India and the Loktantra Suraksha Party (LSP) have thrown the hat into the ring, though none of them is fighting on all 90 seats.
Prominent amongst those in the contest are Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar (Karnal), former Chief Minister and Congress Legislative Party leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Garhi Sampla-Kiloi), Randeep Singh Surjewala (Kaithal), Kiran Choudhary (Tosham) and Kuldeep Bishnoi (Adampur), Haryana Assembly Speaker Kanwar Pal Gurjar (Jagadhri). Besides, JJP’s Dushyant Chautala (Uchana Kalan), INLD’s Abhay Singh Chautala (Ellenabad), State BJP chief Subhash Barala (Tohana), lone woman Minister Kavita Jain (Sonipat), ministers Ram Bilas Sharma (Mahendergarh), Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt), OP Dhankar (Badli) and Capt Abhimanyu (Narnaund) are also in the fray.
The BJP has fielded three sportspersons Babita Phogat (Dadri), Yogeshwar Dutt (Baroda in Sonipat) and Sandeep Singh (Pehowa) besides TikTok artist Sonali Phogat (Adampur). In the polls, prestige of families of Haryana’s famous ‘Lals’ Devi Lal, Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal, who were former Chief Ministers will be at stake. Late Bansi Lal’s daughter-in-law Kiran Choudhary (Tosham) and son Ranbir Mahendra (Badhra) are contesting as Congress candidates. Devi Lal’s great grandson and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala and granddaughter-in-law Naina Chautala (Badhra) are fighting as JJP candidates. Devi Lal’s grandson and former chief minister O P Chautala’s son Abhay Singh Chautala is fighting as INLD candidate (Ellenabad). Late Bhajan Lal’s sons Kuldeep Bishnoi (Adampur) and Chander Mohan (Panchkula) are in the fray as Congress nominees.