Ladwa, Karnal or both? Suspense over CM Nayab Saini’s seat
With both giving contrary yet open statements, sources said that there is a chance Saini may contest from both seats.
A cloud of suspense prevailed over Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini’s seat for the October 1 assembly elections with conflicting statements emerging from state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Mohanlal Badoli and Saini himself on Friday.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi in the morning, Badoli said that CM Saini will be contesting from the Ladwa segment of Kurukshetra district.
However, later in the evening, during a roadshow in Karnal, CM Saini took a contrasting stance.
When asked about Badoli’s statement, the CM said, “He is our honourable state president and knows more than me...”
On being asked about the likely candidate from Karnal, he said, “I will contest from Karnal too, why do you worry?”
With both giving contrary yet open statements, sources said that there is a chance Saini may contest from both seats.
Earlier on Thursday, the BJP’s central election committee (CEC) held a meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president JP Nadda, to finalise candidates for the Haryana elections.
Badoli, while stating that candidates for all 90 seats were discussed, revealed that he will not be contesting this time.
Badoli, a first-time MLA from Rai segment of Sonepat, said he will be looking at the organisational aspects and working closely with all 90 assembly. “It is not important for me to become an MLA, but it is crucial to ensure that the party wins the elections...I will work to ensure the victory of BJP workers on all 90 segments...” he said in a statement released in Hindi.
The state BJP chief further said that another CEC meet is scheduled after two days after which the final decision on ticket allocation will be announced.
The confusion over CM Saini’s seat and Badoli’s decision to not contest underscores the BJP’s underlying anxiety and lack of confidence for the elections. This apparent uncertainty of the top BJP brass is a shot in the arm for the Congress as it indicates that the BJP is entering the battlefield with its back to the wall, political watchers say.
Reacting to statements that Saini may fight from Ladwa, former Congress MLA from Karnal, Sumita Singh Virk said, “The CM had to decide on changing his seat as nothing has been done in Karnal in the last 10 years. The infrastructure is in shambles, corruption is at an all-time high and roads are broken.”
At present, Congress’ Mewa Singh represents the Ladwa seat, which has a substantial number of voters from the Saini and Jat communities. It is a part of the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency which CM Saini represented before being chosen to succeed Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister.
Won’t allow outsiders to contest: Party workers in Ratia, Gohana
Meanwhile, BJP workers in Fatehabad’s Ratia and Gohana assembly segment in Sonepat, have announced to not support party candidates, if any outsider is given a ticket.
BJP’s sitting MLA from Ratia reserved, Laxman Napa, Fatehabad district president Baldev Groha and another party leader Mukhtar Singh, had written to party’s state chief Mohan Lal Badoli urging him to give ticket to any of them. They also warned him not to give tickets to any outsider, if the party does so they will not support the candidate. There were reports that BJP wants to field former Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal from Ratia. In the Gohana assembly segment, the BJP workers protested against the party amid reports that any outsiders could be fielded from there.