ASSEMBLY POLL 2024: As BJP declares 4 nominees in Karnal, Cong aspirants wait with bated breath
As the nomination process for the state Assembly elections is scheduled to begin on September 5, only the BJP has declared candidates for four seats out of five Assembly segments in the district, while the ticket aspirants of the Congress remained restless today.
There are five Assembly segments in Karnal district — Nilokheri, Indri, Karnal, Gharaunda and Assandh. The BJP, in a late evening move, has announced tickets for former media coordinator Jagmohan Anand from Karnal seat, sitting MLA Harvinder Kalyan from Gharaunda, Bhagwan Das Kabirpanthi from Nilokheri and sitting MLA Ram Kumar Kashyap from Indri. The candidate for Assandh seat is yet to be declared by the BJP.
On the other hand, with as many as 228 in fray for Congress tickets from the five segments of the district, aspirants are restless as the party can announce candidates any time now. Nilokheri constituency is leading with the highest number of 88 aspirants eyeing the Congress ticket. Sitting Independent MLA from Nilokheri Dharampal Gonder is yet to show his cards.
Within the Congress, former MLA Raj Kumar Valmiki, MLA Rishal Singh, HPCC delegate Rajesh Vaid, retired IGP Sat Parkash Ranga, retired Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Geeta Rani, Rajeev Mamuram Gonder and retired Civil Surgeon Dr Vinod Kumar are some of the leaders who are eyeing the party ticket from Nilokheri.
Meanwhile, 41 leaders are hoping to contest from Indri, 40 from Gharaunda, 36 from Assandh and 23 from Karnal.
Former MP Kailasho Devi, former MLA Bhim Sain Mehta, former MLA Rakesh Kamboj, Dr Navjot Kashyap, Dr Sunil Panwar, retired DSP Karta Ram, Shiv Ram (alias Sachin Budhanpur), Usha Kashyap, Nahar Singh Sandhu, Munish Parvez Rana, Nripender Singh Mann and Kamal Mann are among the Congress’ ticket aspirants from Indri seat.
Congress state working president Suresh Gupta, former MLA Sumita Singh Virk, former Haryana Minority Commission chairman Trilochan Singh, former Karnal Deputy Mayor Manoj Wadhwa and former AICC coordinator Parag Gaba are among those who have sought ticket from the Karnal segment from the Congress.
Former MLA Narender Sangwan, AICC secretary Varinder Singh Rathore, Anil Rana, Bhupinder Lather and Satish Rana are the key contenders among 40 Congress leaders who have sought tickets from Gharaunda segment.
Sitting MLA Shamsher Singh Gogi and Surender Singh Narwal are two of the top contenders for Congress ticket from Assandh, while the BJP here has a long list of aspirants, including former CPS Zile Ram Sharma, district president Yogendera Rana and former CPS Bakshish Singh Virk, among others.
A majority of these aspirants are camping in Delhi to impress the top leadership of their respective parties. Roaming from one place to another, leaders continue to hope that they can secure the mandate to contest the elections. “I have been camping in Delhi and am confident that I will get a party ticket,” says a ticket aspirants from the Congress.
Expressing hope about getting a party ticket from the BJP from Assandh, a party member claimed that he had approached former CM Manohar Lal Khattar, CM Nayab Singh Saini, BJP’s state president Mohan Lal Badoli and other senior leaders for securing the party ticket. “I am working for the Congress so that the party will win the elections even if I do not get a ticket,” said Shamsher Singh Gogi, Assandh MLA and Congress leader.
BJP leader and ticket aspirant from Assandh, former MLA Zile Ram, said he was with the people of Assandh who had earlier elected him as a legislator. “My aim is to strengthen the party, for which I have been camping in the Assandh segment,” said Sharma.
