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The BJP's second list of candidates for the Haryana Assembly elections has sparked discontent within the party. The list, which was released on Tuesday, includes 21 candidates and drops seven sitting MLAs, including two ministers and the state party president, Mohan Lal Badoli. The decision to drop these prominent figures has led to resentment among some party members, with one state unit executive member, Shiv Kumar Mehta, resigning from the party in protest.
One of the most significant changes in the list is the replacement of school education minister Seema Trikha, the only woman minister in the BJP Cabinet, with Dhanesh Adlakha. Trikha had won the Badkhal seat in the 2019 and 2014 polls. The list also sees the replacement of health minister Banwari Lal with Krishna Kumar. Badoli, who represents the Rai seat in Sonipat district, has been replaced with Krishna Gehlawat. He had previously declared that he would not contest the upcoming elections in order to focus on securing victory for the party.
The BJP's first list of candidates, announced last week, had also generated discontent within the party. The second list has further fueled these tensions, with Mehta expressing his disappointment at being overlooked for a ticket. He stated that he had been working for the party for 45 years but was consistently ignored. He has now quit the party and will focus on social service. The party has also replaced its candidate in the Pehowa seat, Kawaljeet Singh Ajrana, with Jai Bhagwan Sharma following protests from the latter’s supporters.
Despite the discontent, the BJP has attempted to balance caste and community equations in its candidate selection. The second list features two women candidates, two Muslim nominees from the Mewat region, and four Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. The party has also fielded candidates from various other communities, including Jats, OBCs, Rajputs, Punjabis, Brahmins, and Vaishyas. The BJP is yet to declare its nominees for the three remaining seats, which include Faridabad (NIT), Mahendragarh, and Sirsa.
In a separate development, the BJP launched its “Har Ghar BJP” campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, aiming to bolster its public outreach at the grassroots level. The campaign aims to inform citizens about government schemes and policies while promoting the party's manifesto and future roadmap for the region. The party's J&K poll in-charge, Union minister G Kishan Reddy, launched the campaign from the Jammu West constituency. This move indicates the BJP's efforts to expand its reach in the region, particularly in the Valley where it has had limited presence.
The BJP's candidate selection process in Haryana has been marked by controversy and discontent. The party's attempt to balance caste and community equations has not appeased all members, with some expressing their disappointment at being overlooked. The party's campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, however, highlights its ambition to expand its political influence in the region.