BJP releases 2nd list of candidates for Har polls

Chandigarh: The BJP on Tuesday released a second list of candidates for the Haryana Assembly polls, denying tickets to two ministers and replacing its nominee for the Pehowa seat. The list, notified by BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, has names of 21 candidates, including that of the new nominee for Pehowa. The ruling party in Haryana is yet to announce candidates for Mahendragarh, NIT Faridabad, and Sirsa seats.

In its first list of candidates announced on September 4, the BJP nominated Kamaljeet Singh Ajrana for the Pehowa seat but replaced him with Jai Bhagwan Sharma in the second list. Incumbent MLA of Pehowa and former minister Sandeep Singh has been denied re-nomination. Ajrana is learnt to have faced stiff opposition to his candidature from some aspirants.

The BJP denied ticket to Minister Banwari Lal, who represented Bawal in the outgoing Assembly, and fielded Krishna Kumar in his place. School Education Minister Seema Trikha, the incumbent MLA of Badhkal, has also been denied re-nomination. Dhanesh Adlakha has been nominated for the seat. However, another minister Sanjay Singh, the MLA from Sohna, has been given ticket from Nuh. The party has fielded Tejpal Tanwar from Sohna.

The ruling party also denied tickets to the sitting MLAs from Ganaur, Pataudi, Hathin and Hodal seats. A new candidate has been named for the Rai assembly segment, after incumbent legislator and Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli made it clear that he would not contest the polls and instead work to ensure the party’s victory.