BJP released its second list of 21 candidates for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections, Union Minister and Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh voiced strong opposition to the state BJP leadership’s decision to back Nayab Singh Saini as the chief ministerial candidate. Singh’s remarks came just a day after he positioned himself as a contender for the CM post during a meeting with party workers in Rewari.
Reflecting on his sixth-term victory as Gurgaon MP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and his third appointment as a Union minister in the Modi government, Singh asserted that voters in Haryana want to see him as the next chief minister. “It’s the people who want me as CM. Their verdict was delivered through the elections. Right now, Nayab Singh Saini’s popularity is soaring, but the people’s desire is clear,” Singh stated.
The BJP’s second list dropped seven sitting MLAs, including two ministers, as the party continues to reshape its candidate lineup. Among those left out are Seema Trikha from Badkhal and Dr. Banwari Lal from Bawal. The BJP has now announced 87 candidates out of 90 assembly seats, replacing 16 sitting MLAs in total.
One of the noteworthy candidates in the second list is Yogesh Bairagi, a former commercial pilot and vice-president of the BJP Yuva Morcha’s Haryana unit. He will contest from Julana, facing Congress’s wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat.
With the Haryana assembly elections approaching, Singh’s comments reflect growing internal tensions as the BJP seeks to solidify its leadership and candidate roster. Whether the state leadership will reconsider its stance or stay the course remains to be seen.
