Rebel Candidates and Independent Contestants Shake Haryana Assembly Elections, Pose Challenge for BJP and Congress

Rebel Candidates and Independent Contestants Shake Haryana Assembly Elections, Pose Challenge for BJP and Congress

The upcoming Haryana Assembly elections have taken an unusual turn as, for the first time, no political party has fielded candidates on all 90 seats. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the only party contesting all 90 seats, other major players like the Congress, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) have left some seats uncontested, allowing independent candidates and rebels to dominate key constituencies.

The presence of independent candidates and party rebels is creating ripples across the political landscape. Several leaders from both BJP and Congress, denied party tickets, have entered the fray as independents. The situation is expected to weaken the prospects of the official party candidates, leading to a fragmented vote share in multiple constituencies.

In total, dozens of leaders from BJP and Congress filed their nominations as independent candidates after being snubbed during ticket distribution. However, in recent developments, 18 of these independent candidates have already withdrawn from the contest. Among them, eight independents have stepped down in favor of Congress candidates, while seven have decided to back BJP nominees. One candidate has also withdrawn in support of an INLD contender.

For instance, in Panipat Rural, independent candidate Deepti stepped down in favor of Vijay Jain, another independent, solidifying his chances in the constituency. Similarly, the INLD-BSP candidate from Punhana, Dayawati Bhardana, has been missing from the campaign trail for over 10 days, casting doubts about her continued participation.

Rebels and independents have played a crucial role in constituencies like Nangal Chaudhary, where the AAP and Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) candidates extended their support to the Congress. Additionally, key Congress candidates in seats such as Nilokheri, Pundri, Nalwa, Adampur, and Prithla received a boost after eight independents dropped out of the race and pledged their support.

On the other hand, the BJP has also managed to garner the support of independents in crucial constituencies like Sohna, Faridabad, Faridabad NIT, Fatehabad, and Gohana, where six independents have withdrawn in favor of the BJP. In Kalayat, an independent candidate stepped aside in favor of the INLD nominee. In a significant move, former Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra announced his support for independent candidate Savitri Jindal, who is contesting in Hisar.

In the midst of these developments, both BJP and Congress have intensified their efforts to persuade rebellious leaders to withdraw from the race and align with the party’s official candidates. Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini and BJP’s Haryana unit president Mohan Lal Badoli have been personally intervening in several constituencies to mitigate the impact of rebel candidates. In Sohna, for example, Subhash, an independent candidate, withdrew his nomination after discussions with the BJP leadership, as did Arun Ninanania in Gohana, Vishwamitra in Fatehabad, Rajkumar alias Bittu Bajarangi in Faridabad NIT, AAP leader Pravesh Malik in Faridabad, and Ramesh in Panipat Rural.

Similarly, Congress has been actively working to consolidate support for its candidates. Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has played a critical role in pacifying disgruntled leaders and securing their backing for official Congress nominees. In Pundri, Congress leaders Randhir Golan and Sunita Batan withdrew their candidacies in favor of the party’s official nominee. Ravindra Magali from Nalwa, Renu Chahal from Adampur, AAP candidate Dr. Gopiram Gurjar from Nangal Chaudhary, and HJC’s Bhajanlal from Nangal Chaudhary have all decided to support Congress. In Nilokheri, rebel candidate Magu Gondar also withdrew to boost the Congress’s chances. JJP candidate Giriraj Jatola from Prithla similarly threw his support behind the Congress.

The INLD, too, is witnessing a shift as Salinder Rana, an independent candidate from Kalayat, withdrew his candidacy after being convinced by INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala to back official party candidate Rampal Majra. Interestingly, Rana was previously associated with INLD, adding another layer of complexity to the dynamics of the election.

The independent candidates and party rebels pose a significant threat to the electoral prospects of BJP, Congress, and other major parties. With multiple contests in key constituencies, these rebels could siphon off crucial votes, splitting the electorate and making it difficult for official candidates to secure a majority. As both BJP and Congress work tirelessly to convince their party rebels to withdraw, the challenge remains whether these efforts will be enough to prevent the rise of independent candidates and ensure a smooth election campaign.

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