New Delhi [India], Sept 30 : Several new entrants were given BJP ticket for the Haryana Assembly elections while several party heavyweights could not make it to its first list of 78 candidates.
Seven sitting MLAs including two ministers have been denied party ticket in the state elections. State ministers -- Vipul Goel (Faridabad) and Rao Narbir Singh (Badshahpur) and five other legislators have been dropped in the first candidates' list. Deputy Assembly Speaker Santosh Yadav has also been denied ticket from his constituency, Atheli.
Several new faces including wrestlers Yogeshwar Dutt and Babita Phogat, and former Indian hockey captain Sandeep Singh have been fielded by the party. Olympian Yogeshwar Dutt will be contesting for Baroda (Sonipat) seat, Sandeep Singh for Pehowa and Babita Phogat for Dadri Assembly seat.
Former Chief Minister Devi Lal's grandson, Aditya Devilal, has secured a party ticket from Dabbali Assembly constituency.
The party has reposed its faith in 38 sitting MLAs and gave the ticket to nine women and two Muslims -- Zakir Hussain (Nuh) and Naseem Ahmed (Ferozepur Jhirka) to contest the elections.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will be seeking re-election from Karnal while state BJP chief Subhash Barala will fight from Tohana. State Minister l Vij will also look to retain his Ambala Cantonment seat.
Candidature for the rest 12 seats of the 90-member Assembly have not been announced as, sources in the BJP said, as these seats are in high demand among the party leaders. The party is expected to announce the candidature for these seats soon.
It is learnt that BJP does not want to give tickets to family members of MPs and ministers but central ministers like Rao Indrajeet Singh and Krishna Pal Gurjar want seats for their son and daughter. The leaders, the sources said, are citing examples of Chaudhary Birendra Singh whose wife Prem Lata Singh has been again fielded from Uchana Kalan seats despite his son being an MP.
Elections for Haryana Assembly will be held on October 21 and counting of votes will take place on October 24.
( With inputs from ANI )