The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released the first list of candidates for the Haryana elections just a day before the nomination process began. The jumbo list includes candidates for 67 of the 90 assembly seats. The list highlights the influence of OBCs, Bhajan Lal, and Bansi Lal's families. Notably, the seats in the Ahirwal belt were influenced by Union Minister Rao Inderjit, and new members of the party were also considered. What are the key takeaways from BJP’s first list?
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Focus on OBC, Inclusion of Jats
Historically, BJP has focused on non-Jat politics in Haryana. After the Jat voters showed support for Congress in the Lok Sabha elections, there was speculation that BJP might continue this trend in ticket distribution. However, from the 67 names in the first list, 14 tickets went to OBC candidates of diverse sub-groups like Gujjar, Yadav, Kashyap, Kamboji, Rajput, and Saini. Additionally, the BJP also balanced this by giving tickets to 13 Jat and 13 Dalit leaders, with Dalit candidates representing communities like Valmiki, Dhanuk, Bavaria, Banjara, and Jatav.
BJP's strategy appears to be countering the opposition's dominance among Jats and Dalits. Congress has historically been seen as a Jat-dominated party, largely influenced by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda family. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Congress worked to change this image by favoring non-Jat leaders, and it paid off with the party winning five out of ten seats. Congress plans to follow the same strategy in the assembly elections, but the BJP's inclusion of Jat leaders could disrupt Congress's plans.
BJP has also included candidates from its core voter base like Baniya and Brahmins along with Bishnoi, Punjabi, Sikh, Rajput, and Jat Sikh communities.
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Balancing Caste Arithmetic with Women Voters
Besides focusing on caste calculations, BJP has paid attention to its silent female voter base. In the list of 67 candidates, eight are women. Candidates include Shakti Rani Sharma from Kalka, Santosh Sarwan from Mulana (reserved), Kamlesh Dhanda from Kalayat, Sunita Duggal from Ratia (reserved), Renu Dabla from Kalanaur (reserved), Manju Hooda from Garhi Sampla Kiloi, Shruti Chaudhary from Tosham, and Aarti Singh Rao from Ateli. The party aims to mitigate anger due to issues faced by wrestlers and scheme beneficiaries and is working on courting small voter blocks while keeping its core voter base intact.
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Countering Opposition Family Politics
Haryana politics has been dominated by influential families. Congress boasts of the Hooda family while the Chautala family represents the legacy of Devi Lal through INLD and JJP. To counter the influence of these families, BJP has favored the families of Bhajan Lal and Bansi Lal. Kiran Choudhary, Bansi Lal's daughter-in-law and now a Rajya Sabha member, joined BJP and her daughter Shruti Choudhary has been given a ticket from Tosham. Kuldeep Bishnoi, Bhajan Lal's son, and his son Bhavya Bishnoi were also handed tickets, with Kuldeep influencing five other seat nominations.
Read More: Big Moves in Haryana: CM’s Seat Changed, Tickets Denied for 9 MLAs – Key Takeaways from BJP List
After the Lok Sabha elections, rumors suggested BJP sidelined Kuldeep Bishnoi, but he was appointed a member of the election committee and election management committee and his choices influenced nominations for five seats, including names like Bhavya Bishnoi from Adampur, Randhir Panihar from Nalwa, Doodaram Bishnoi from Fatehabad, Ranbir Gangwa from Barwala, and Manmohan Bhardana from Samalkha. Doodaram Bishnoi is also his cousin.
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New Faces to Counter Anti-Incumbency
To tackle anti-incumbency, BJP cut tickets for nine legislators, including ministers from the Manohar Lal Khattar government, and introduced new faces. The first list features 27 new candidates. Younger leaders have been favored in the candidate selection. The party cut off leaders like Deepak Mangla from Palwal, Vishvabhar Valmiki from Bawani Khera, Narendra Gupta from Faridabad, Sudhir Singla from Gurgaon, Sanjay Singh from Sohna, Sitaram Yadav from Ateli, former minister Sandeep Singh from Pehowa, Sanjay Singh from Sohna, and Lakshman Napa from Ratia.
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Outsiders and Leaders’ Progeny in the Fray
BJP has fielded leaders from other parties alongside leaders’ progeny. This includes four JJP leaders - Devender Babli, Ram Kumar Gautam, Pawan Kumar, and Sanjay Kablana - as well as Nikhil Madan, Bhavya Bishnoi, and Shruti Choudhary from Congress, Shakti Rani Sharma from Haryana Janchetna Party, and Shyam Singh Rana from INLD.
Read More: 'Nayab Singh Saini and More': Congress Criticizes BJP's Candidates List in Haryana, Accuses Nepotism
Talking about leaders’ progeny, BJP has granted tickets to Bhavya Bishnoi, son of Kuldeep Bishnoi, Shruti Choudhary, daughter of Kiran Choudhary, Aarti Rao, daughter of Union Minister Rao Inderjit, Manmohan Bhardana, son of Kartar Bhardana, and Sunil Sangwan, son of Satpal Sangwan.
Message from BJP’s First List
Through the first list of candidates, BJP has conveyed it will not give a walkover to rivals in the terrain of Jat politics. The party’s strategy now blends OBC, Jat, and Dalit votes into a new electoral equation. Despite previously criticizing opposition for family politics, BJP will include influential family candidates provided they have higher chances of winning based on electoral surveys.
