Haryana Polls: In JJP’s first list of 7, an ex-minister, two ex-MLAs

The JJP has fielded Devender Kadiyan from Panipat Rural seat; Anoop Dhanak from Uklana (SC); Ram Kumar Gautam from Narnaund; Rao Ramesh Palri from Mahendergarh; Kamlesh Saini from Narnaul; Shyam Sundar from Bawal (SC); and Harsh Kumar from Hathin seat.

Harsh Kumar is a former state minister and two time MLA and had joined the JJP in February this year after quitting the BJP. He was made a minister in the Bansi Lal government after he won from Hathin on Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) ticket in 1996. He won the 2004 election from the same seat as an independent candidate. He had unsuccessfully contested the 2009 election as Congress candidate. Harsh Kumar had joined the BJP in 2014.

Ram Kumar Gautam is also a former legislator. He had won the 2005 Assembly polls as a BJP candidate. Gautam has contested elections from Narnaund six times and is currently holding the post of national vice president in the JJP.

Anoop Dhanak, who had won 2014 Assembly polls from Uklana constituency as an INLD candidate, will contest from the same seat. He was among four INLD MLAs who had supported the JJP after a split in the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in 2018.

Devender Kadian, a young leader who has been fielded from Panipat Rural, is son of Satbir Kadian who was Assembly Speaker during the INLD government formed after the 2000 Assembly polls.

Rao Ramesh Paldi, contesting from Mahendragarh, is JJP’s Mahendragarh district president. The seat is currently represented by Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma in the Assembly.

Kamlesh Saini, fielded from Narnaul, had also contested the 2014 Assembly polls from the same seat as an INLD candidate. She had lost by a margin of around 4,000 votes.

Shyam Sunder, named from Bawal, is JJP Scheduled Caste wing Rewari district president. He had contested 2014 election from this seat as an INLD candidate securing around 36,000 votes.

Amid efforts by some Haryana ‘khaps’ for rapprochement in the Chautala family, Dushyant had Thursday said his party will contest on all the 90 seats in the state, which goes to polls in October.

A family feud within the Chautala family last year had led to a split in the INLD, with Ajay Singh Chautala and his son Dushyant founding the JJP.

Dushyant said any decision on an “alliance” between the JJP and the INLD can “only be taken by Ajay Chautala”, who is serving 10-year-sentence in Tihar jail after being convicted in a teacher’s recruitment scam.

“He (Ajay) has applied for a furlough. We hope that he may get it. Once, he comes out then he only will take a call on any such alliance after discussing it with our party workers. As of now, the JJP will contest on all 90 assembly seats,” Dushyant had said.

With assembly polls in Haryana barely a few weeks away, INLD had been slipping with most of its legislators deserting and joining BJP. Recently, INLD’s state unit chief Ashok Arora too resigned from the party. On the other hand, JJP that is relatively a new party and had unsuccessfully contested Jind bypoll in January and Lok Sabha polls in April, is hopeful of making a mark in the upcoming Vidhan Sabha polls.