Birender Singh kept waiting in BJP's first list for Haryana

CHANDIGARH: The Bharatiya Janata Party did not announce the candidature of Congress rebel Birender Singh in the first list, but fielded his wife, Prem Lata, from Uchana for the forthcoming Haryana assembly elections. Essel Group chairman Subash Chandra, believed to be an aspirant from Hisar, however, drew a blank.

Aarti, the daughter of BJP MP Rao Inderjit, and three sitting MLAs were among the 43 candidates declared by the party for the 90-member House. Seven women candidates and 11 youth leaders made it to the first list vetted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting chaired by BJP national president Amit Shah on Tuesday evening.

Birender Singh, one the chief ministerial candidates, is likely to be fielded in the second list. In 2009, Singh lost to former chief minister OP Chautala in Uchana, a seat his wife will now try to reclaim. Aarti Rao will fight six-time MLA and irrigation minister Captain Ajay Yadav.

INLD detractors Shamsher Kharkhara, Krishan Panwar and Congress rebels Chattarpal Singh Krishna Gehlot, Sunita Sethia, Jagdish Nehra and Harsh Kumar too were granted the party ticket, triggering a reaction from the Congress. “The BJP is contesting polls on hired candidates from other parties,” Congress MP, Deepender Hooda said.

The party’s national spokesperson Captin Abhimanyu has been named from Narnaund while state unit president Ram Bilas Sharma will contest from Mahendergarh. Four-time MLA Anil Vij will look to retain Ambala Cant while Kavita Jain and Ghansham Saraf will contest from Sonepat and Bhiwani.

There was resistance to Manohar Lal Khattar and BJP Kisan Morcha president Om Prakash Dhankar, but their proximity to Modi helped them make the cut.

The party repeated Umesh Aggarwal in Gurgaon. Dharampal Hooda has been fielded from Garhi Sampla, a seat represented by Congress chief minister Bhupidner Singh Hooda.