JJP-ASP’s 1st list out, Dushyant to seek re-election from Uchana
The JJP has fielded Digvijay Chautala, brother of Dushyant, from Dabwali, while sitting MLA Amarjeet Dhanda will again contest from Julana.
The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and its alliance partner Azad Samaj Party (ASP-Kanshi Ram) on Wednesday released their first list of 19 candidates for the upcoming October 5 Haryana assembly elections with former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala deciding to seek re-election from Uchana Kalan segment of Jind district.
The JJP has fielded Digvijay Chautala, brother of Dushyant, from Dabwali, while sitting MLA Amarjeet Dhanda will again contest from Julana. The first list doesn’t contain the name of Naina Singh Chautala, the Badhra MLA and mother of Dushyant Chautala.
The JJP leader, Dushyant Chautala, said he will file the nomination papers on Thursday, the first day of the nomination filing process that will continue till September 12. The scrutiny of nomination papers is slated for September 13 and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is September 16.
In the JJP-ASP list, 15 candidates are from the JJP and four candidates figure from the ASP, according to the list of candidates released by the JJP.
After remaining in power as junior coalition partner of the BJP-led government in Haryana, the JJP has been facing a major crisis of its acceptability among the voters despite emerging as a kingmaker in 2019 assembly polls when the party had won 10 seats.
Last week, the JJP stitched a pre-poll alliance with the Azad Samaj Party (ASP-Kanshi Ram). The JJP will contest 70 seats and the ASP 20. Former MLA Rajbir Phogat will enter the fray from Charkhi Dadri, even as the JJP has also named its candidates for Gohana, Bawal, Mulana, Radaur, Guhla, Jind, Nalwa, Tosham, Beri, Ateli and Hodal.
The four candidates of the ASP named in the first list are from Sadhaura, Jagadhri, Sohna and Palwal constituencies.
In the 2019 assembly polls, Dushyant Chautala had defeated Prem Lata, the wife of veteran leader Birender Singh who was with the BJP at that time.
Birender Singh, a former Union minister, and his son and former Hisar MP Brijendra Singh are now in the Congress. In the past, Birender Singh has won Uchana seat on five occasions while his wife Prem Lata won it in 2014.
Uchana Kalan will be one of the closely watched electoral contests.
Dushyant counts ‘achievements’
Uchana Kalan MLA Dushyant Chautala, who is set to file his nomination papers from the same seat on Thursday, said his party had done several works for farmers, labourers, youth, women and other sections of the society while being the junior alliance partner in the state government in the last four and a half years. “We ensured farmers get their dues for crops in their account. We will improve our mistakes by taking advice of our elderly people,” he said.