The BJP and the Congress on Wednesday announced the names of their candidates for the by-election in Haryana's Jind Assembly constituency scheduled to be held on January 28.
Krishan Middha, the son of late INLD MLA Hari Chand Middha, will be the BJP's candidate, while Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala will be its nominee for the bypoll.
Krishan Middha, whose father's demise in August had necessitated the bypoll, had recently joined the saffron party. He was the frontrunner to contest as the BJP candidate from this constituency.
"After discussion and taking various factors into account, the BJP's Central Election Committee has decided that Krishan Middha, the son of late Hari Chand Middha, will be the party's candidate for the Jind bypoll," Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala told reporters earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, the INLD and the recently floated Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) said they would announce the name of their candidates on Thursday.
After his name was announced, Middha exuded confidence about his win.
"The BJP will get one more MLA, this time from Jind," he said.
Jind was represented by his late father, who was two-time MLA from here. The BJP is yet to taste a win from this constituency.
However, senior INLD leader and Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala said, "This seat was with our party MLA. But his son chose to join the BJP and people of the constituency know that he has betrayed them."
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