New Delhi, September 20
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s sister Vandana Sharma has been included in the list of 47 candidates released by the BJP for the Haryana Assembly elections. She has been fielded from the Safidon Assembly constituency.

A few Congress and INLD leaders, including Surender Barwala, who recently joined the BJP, have also been accommodated.

Barwala will now represent the BJP from Jind. Former Congress MP Jitender Malik has been fielded from Ganaur and former Congress district president Jai Bhagwan Sharma from Pehowa.

Other former Congress and INLD leaders in the list include JP Dalal (Loharu), Dariyav Singh Rajoura (Jhajjar-SC), Swatantra Baala Choudhary (Fatehabad), Subhash Sudha (Thanesar), Dharampal Sharma (Kalayat), Seema Gaibipur (Uklana), Harvinder Kalyan (Gharaunda), Jai Bhagwan Thekedar (Gohana), Sanjeev Chairman (Julana), Vikram Kadiyan (Beri), Vikram Thekedar (Kosli), Ram Rattan (Hodal-SC), Vipul Goyal (Faridabad) and Rajesh Nagar (Tigaon).

The party has also given ticket to Baljeet Singh Malik (Dada), head of the Malik Khap. He will contest from Baroda.

A scrutiny of the list suggests that not many leaders have managed to secure party ticket for their relatives. Sources said PM Narendra Modi was strictly against the idea of giving ticket to relatives of leaders. The party’s ideological fountainhead — the RSS — also wants the BJP to project itself as a party that does not promote dynastic politics unlike the Congress, INLD and HJC.

Today’s list includes eight women candidates and 11 young faces. Senior BJP leader JP Nadda said the total number of women candidates contesting on the BJP ticket in Haryana was 15, which was in line with party’s commitment to give them equal footing.

Besides Vandana Sharma, other women candidates include Latika Sharma (Kalka), Santosh Sarwan (Mulana-SC), Rohita Revari (Panipat City), Santosh Danoda (Narwana-SC), Swantantra Baala Choudhury (Fatehabad), Sunita Duggal (Ratia-SC) and Seema Gabipur (Uklana-SC).

BJP in charge of Haryana Jagdish Mukhi said 17 SCs, 25 Jats and 16 OBCs (other than Jats) have been fielded. It has given ticket to two Muslims, nine Brahmins, two Sikhs, eight Punjabis and an equal number of Vaish candidates, he said. It has fielded retired IAS officer Abhay Singh Yadav from Nangal Chaudhary.