The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday stirred discontent within its ranks by releasing its second list of 21 candidates for the Haryana assembly elections. The new list saw the exclusion of seven sitting legislators, including two ministers and state party president Mohan Lal Badoli.
The immediate consequence of the decision was the resignation of Shiv Kumar Mehta, a member of the state unit’s executive committee. Dissatisfied with the party’s choice of Om Prakash Yadav for the Narnaul seat, which he had sought, Mehta submitted his resignation to Badoli.
Moreover, Satyavrat Shastri, a spokesperson of the Haryana BJP, has resigned as a primary member of the party. Shastri claims that the party has deviated from its core values and is being influenced by people with opposing beliefs.
Mehta said he has been working for the party for 45 years but was repeatedly overlooked and told to prepare for the next opportunity. He said he has now left the party and will focus on social services.
The ministers who were not given a ticket include Seema Trikha, the education minister and MLA for Badkhal, who will be replaced by Dhanesh Adlakha, and Banwari Lal, the health minister and MLA for Bawal, who will be succeeded by Krishna Kumar.
Trikha, the only woman minister in Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s BJP cabinet, won the Badkhal seat by defeating Congress candidates Vijay Pratap Singh and Mahendra Pratap Singh in the 2019 and 2014 elections respectively.
State president Mohan Lal Badoli, who had earlier said he would not contest the October 5 assembly elections to focus on ensuring the party’s success, has been replaced by Krishna Gehlawat for the Rai seat in Sonipat district.
The BJP’s announcement of its first list of 67 candidates last week has also led to significant discontent within the party. Of the 87 candidates named so far, the BJP has selected 17 SCs, 16 Jats, 19 OBCs, five Rajputs, 11 Punjabis, 11 Brahmins, five Vaishyas, two Muslims and one Sikh, with an aim to ensure diverse representation of different castes and communities.
Haryana goes to polls on October 5, with counting of votes on October 8. Candidates have to file their nominations by September 12, with verification on September 13. The deadline for withdrawing nominations is September 16.
(With input from the agency)
First publication: Sep 11, 2024 | 10:54 AM IST