Haryana assembly polls: BJP eyeing Saini community votes in Ladwa
Saini recently had secured a victory from Karnal during the by-election held along with Lok Sabha polls. To accommodate Saini, Khattar had resigned as a legislator from Karnal in March
Eyeing the OBC votes, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini from Ladwa assembly constituency. With a sizeable OBC population, particularly Saini voters, it is being considered a safe seat for Saini.
Saini recently had secured a victory from Karnal during the by-election held along with Lok Sabha polls in June. To accommodate Saini, Khattar had resigned as a legislator from Karnal in March.
Saini won with 41,483 votes against his rival, Congress’ Tarlochan Singh.
He polled 94,714 votes (62.24%), while Singh got 53,231 votes (34.98%).
Dr Kushal Pal, a political analyst, and principal of Indira Gandhi National College in Ladwa, believe that there is nothing wrong of Saini shifting his seat.
“In March, when he was elevated as chief minister, there was no other option then to contest from Karnal. Now, as the political situation has changed, he is contesting from Ladwa that is considered a safe seat for him because of substantial OBC particularly Saini votes,” he added.
Political watchers say that this will be Saini’s fourth shift of seats since 2014 when he made his electoral debut by winning as an MLA from his hometown Naraingarh.
In 2019, when the BJP swept the state, Saini, an OBC face, won from Kurukshetra as an MP with Ladwa assembly segment contributing a whooping 58% of votes.
Speculations about CM Saini contesting from two seats--Karnal and Ladwa--were already brewing but got pumped after party state president Mohan Lal Badoli confirmed Saini’s candidature from Ladwa assembly constituency, days before the release of BJP’s nominee list. However the CM, in response to party chief’s comment, had presented a contrasting view.
The choice of former district president and media coordinator to Khattar, Jagmohan Anand, as candidate from Karnal assembly constituency was made keeping in view the majority of Punjabi voter base in the assembly constituency and demand for a local candidate in the cadre.
A close aide of Khattar, Anand is an influential Punjabi leader, who also shares equal proximity with Saini due to his long association with the organisation.
Party leaders said that Anand was also among the top ticket aspirants in 2014, when the BJP parachuted Khattar, a native of Rohtak.
“We have been demanding a Punjabi and most importantly a local candidate from the party. This was also kept forward by a delegation of 50 people before Khattar in Delhi on Sunday. Though there were other options as well but the party chose Anand for the purpose and we will ensure his victory,” a BJP worker said on condition of anonymity.
On the other hand, two-time Congress MLA from Karnal, Sumita Singh had targeted Saini and said, “The CM had to decide on changing his seat as nothing has been done in the city in the last 10 years.”
