Haryana CM Naib Singh Saini
After much brainstorming, the BJP on Wednesday finally announced the names of candidates for the 67 seats for the Haryana assembly elections. Even after the announcement of tickets for 67 of the total 90 assembly seats in the state, there is suspense in 23 assembly seats. The seats for which the BJP has still not confirmed tickets include the seats in the Muslim-majority Mewat region. BJP fielded two Muslim candidates in Mewat in the last election. Will he bet on a Muslim this time too or will he field a Hindu candidate?
To overcome the anti-incumbency wave, the BJP has changed candidates in 40 assembly seats. The BJP canceled the tickets of 9 MLAs, including three ministers, but gave a chance to two former MPs, one Rajya Sabha MP, 9 sitting ministers, 4 former ministers and 27 new faces. Three MLAs and two leaders who joined BJP from JJP have also been given tickets. Along with this, BJP has made a big move by giving tickets to the families of three former chief ministers of the state, but this time they have not given a chance to the leaders who have lost elections twice.
BJP has tickets on 23 seats
For the 67 seats in Haryana for which the BJP has announced its candidates, the caste equation has been given special attention. However, the BJP is still unable to announce ticket names on 23 seats. The 23 seats that the BJP has secured include Narayangarh, Pundri, Rai, Asandh, Gannaur Baroda, Julana, Narwana, Dabwali, Sirsa, Allenabad, Rohtak, Mahendragarh, Narnaul, Bawal, Pataudi, Nooh, Ferozepur, Zirka, Punhana. , Hodal, Faridabad NIT and Badkhal seats included.
Also read this
Suspense on the seat of Mewat area
The BJP has also bagged tickets in all three assembly seats in the Muslim-dominated Nuh district of Mewat region in the first list. BJP is yet to announce candidates for 3 seats in Mewat region – Nooh, Ferozepur Zirka and Puna. In the 2019 assembly elections, the Congress won all three seats in Mewat region. BJP candidates are yet to be announced for the three assembly seats of Mewat, Pataudi and Bawal under Gurugram Lok Sabha constituency.
After the violence in Mewat area in July 2023, it is believed that there is a particular resentment towards the BJP in Nuh district. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won all three seats here. BJP could never win all three seats in Mewat due to Muslim majority. This has been a stronghold of Congress and INLD. 70 to 80 percent Muslim voters in all three seats here. That is why the BJP is stuck in a quandary whether to gamble on Muslim faces or field non-Muslims.
Main ticket contender from BJP
The race for BJP candidates’ tickets has intensified in all the three assembly seats in Mewat. About 24 leaders have applied for tickets from BJP on Ferozepur Zirka, Punana and Nooh seats. Eight leaders are in line for the ticket from Noah seat, but former MLA Zakir Hussain, Surendra alias Pintu and Zahid Hussain Bai are the strong contenders here. Thus Yad Ram Garg, Ejaz Gopal Patel and Salim Sarpanch applied for ticket from BJP from Punana seat. Former MLA Naseem Ahmed and former minister Azad Mohammad have applied to contest from BJP on the Ferozepur Zirka seat.
BJP gambled on Muslims
BJP fielded two Muslim candidates from Nuh, Puna and Ferozepur zirka assembly seats in Haryana’s Mewat region in the 2019 assembly elections. BJP fielded Zakir Hussain from Noah seat and former MLA Naseem Ahmed from Ferozepur Zirka. BJP had given tickets to both Muslim stalwarts but could not win the confidence of Muslims. Congress managed to win all three seats in Mewat region. After this, in the 2024 Lok Sabha also, the BJP got less votes than the Congress in Mewat region seats. This is the reason why this time BJP is stuck in confusion for Mewat area seats.
Will BJP give tickets to Muslims?
In the year 2023, the political equations of Mewat have changed after the violence in Nuh area. The Muslim community is particularly upset with the BJP, but Muslim leaders from Zakir Hussain to Naseem Ahmed are seeking tickets, while Hindu leaders from several parties are also in the race for tickets. Zakir Hussain is a veteran leader of Mewat and has been a three-time MLA. Currently he is on the post of administrator of Haryana Waqf. Zakir Hussain Noah has a good grip in the area.
Surendra Singh Pintu, a resident of Ujina village, is among the contenders for BJP ticket from Nuh seat. Has been a member of Haryana Staff Selection Board. Has been associated with RSS for a long time. They have a deep influence in the villages around Noah and influence the Hindu votes. Apart from this, the third big name is that of Zahid Hussain, who has been associated with the BJP for a long time. Zahid Hussain is one of the close leaders of Union Minister Rao Indrajit Singh. He has also been the Chairman of Swajan Panchayat Committee.
Muslim candidates on Mewat seats
Former MLA Naseem Ahmed, who contested from Ferozepur Zirka assembly seat on BJP ticket in 2019, is preparing to contest the elections once again. Apart from this, former minister Azad Mohammad is also seeking ticket from BJP to contest elections. Naseem Ahmed and Azad Mohammad have been MLAs from Ferozepur Zirka twice. Naseem Ahmed contested last election from BJP but could not win. Yad Ram Garg, Ejaz Ahmed, Gopal Patel and Salim Sarpanch are seeking tickets from BJP from Puna, the third assembly seat of Mewat. In such a situation, it remains to be seen whether the BJP makes a Muslim candidate for the seats in Mewat area or bets on someone else.
