BJP Releases Second List for Haryana Elections, Reveals Vinesh Phogat’s Opponent

The BJP has released 87 candidates for the upcoming assembly polls in Haryana. The party has pitted Captain Yogesh Bairagi against Olympian Vinesh Phogat, who is set to contest from Julana on a Congress ticket. In the first list of 67 candidates, the party fielded Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini from Karnal to the Ladwa seat.

Mr. Saini previously served as the MP from Kurukshetra between 2019 and 2024. Prominent leaders such as former state BJP president Om Prakash Dhankar, who now holds a national secretary role in the party, have been fielded from the Badli constituency. Another key figure, Anil Vij, the veteran party leader and former state minister, is set to contest from his traditional stronghold of Ambala Cantt.

Several political heavyweights who recently switched allegiance to the BJP have been rewarded with tickets. For example, Devender Singh Babli, formerly of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), will now contest from Tohana, while Shruti Choudhry, the granddaughter of former Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal, is set to run from Tosham. Similarly, Rao Inderjit Singh’s daughter, Aarti Singh Rao, has been given the Ateli seat, along with several other loyalists of the Union Minister, further cementing the party’s presence in south Haryana.

The BJP aims for a third consecutive victory in the state as the assembly polls are scheduled for October 5. However, the ruling party faces stiff competition from a resurgent Congress, with the counting of votes set for October 8.