Haryana: INLD, JJP in wait-and-watch mode as Congress delays its list

Tribune News Service

Pradeep Sharma

Chandigarh, April 23

The delay in the Congress list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections has ‘forced’ the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) to put on hold their lists of candidates for the crucial seats, including Karnal and Rohtak.

Political compulsion behind delay

We have zeroed in on names of the candidates from all 10 seats. However, due to political compulsions, we will announce the names for the four seats — Rohtak, Karnal, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh and Gurugram — after April 26. — Abhay Chautala, Secretary General, INLD

Cong rebels as JJP, INLD nominees?

• The JJP and the INLD are waiting for the Congress to declare its list first
• After Congress releases its lists, the party rebels can be accommodated as JJP, INLD candidates
• Since elections are scheduled on May 25, parties have enough time to name the candidates

In fact, in the backdrop of the no consensus on the names of the Congress candidates for the nine Lok Sabha seats, the JJP and the INLD have adopted a ‘wait-and-watch’ mode in announcing their candidates for the remaining seats.

Both the JJP and the INLD seem to be waiting for prospective candidates not getting the Congress ticket who might switch to their parties in the run-up to the elections. Since there are multiple claimants for the Congress tickets, those not getting tickets may be ‘winnable’ candidate from the JJP and INLD, sources said.

Though the INLD was supposed to announce the remaining seven candidates yesterday, it named only three candidates putting the names of the candidates from Rohtak, Karnal, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh and Gurugram seats on hold.

“We have zeroed in on names of the candidates from all seats. However, due to political compulsions, we will announce the names for the four seats after April 26,” said Abhay Chautala, secretary general, INLD.

Similarly, the JJP is yet to announce candidates from the Karnal, Rohtak, Ambala, Sonepat and Kurukshetra seats. In fact, the BJP is the only party which has announced candidates from all 10 seats.

The sources said both the parties were watching out for the rebel candidates after the announcement of the Congress candidates. “As there is still enough time for the May 25 elections, the parties are waiting for the Congress to declare its candidates first. After the Congress declares its list, the possibility of fielding the Congress rebels as the JJP or the INLD candidates can be explored,” the sources asserted.

Since the notification for May 25 elections to 10 parliamentary seats in Haryana is scheduled to be issued on April 29, the parties have enough time to name the candidates. Even if we name the candidates around April 29, the candidates will have enough time to campaign for the May 25 parliamentary polls, a senior JJP leader said.

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