Phogat, Sandeep Singh, Dutt in BJP Haryana first list

New Delhi: The BJP has fielded nine women candidates and two Muslims for the coming Assembly polls in Haryana, where chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar will recontest from Karnal Assembly seat and state unit chief Subhash Barala has been renominated from Tohana.

The party’s central election committee (CEC), which met on Sunday evening to finalise the names, released 78 names on Monday, which also included wrestler Babita Phogat, former Indian hockey captain Sandeep Singh and Olympic medallist Yogeshwar Dutt. While Ms Phogat will contest from Dadri, the former hockey captain will stand from Pehowa and Mr Dutta from Baroda.

The trio had joined the saffron fold recently. Elections will be held to the 90-member Assembly on October 21 along with Maharashtra, where the BJP is yet to officially announce its seat-sharing formula with allies, including the Shiv Sena. The last date for the filing of nominations is October 4.

The BJP also fielded two Muslim candidates in Haryana — Zakir Hussain from Nuh and Naseem Ahmed from Fezozepur Jirka — both in the Mewat region.

BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, who briefed the media, said 38 MLAs have been renominated while seven have been dropped in the first list. The MLAs who have been renominated include state ministers Captain Abhimanyu from Narnod, Anil Viz from Ambala Cantt and Om Prakash Dhankar from Badli. Former Union minister and Jat leader Birender Singh’s MLA wife, Prem Lata, has been renominated from Uchana Kalan. The grandson of late Jat stalwart and former CM Devi Lal, Aditya, will contest from Dabwali.

The BJP had formed its first government in this Jat-dominated state in 2014 after bagging 47 seats, and in the coming polls it is banking on the “pro-incumbency” factor and the Narendra Modi government’s move to abrogate Article 370. The party bagged all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the general election in April-May this year.