Haryana Assembly polls: BJP's Sirsa candidate withdraws nomination

Ruling BJP's Sirsa candidate Rohtash Jangra on Monday said he has withdrawn his nomination and hinted that the party may back sitting MLA Gopal Kanda, who has been supporting the state government.

Kanda is the supremo of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) and is seeking re-election from the Sirsa Assembly seat.

"I have withdrawn my nomination. The decision has been taken in the interest of the state and the country... We have to ensure a 'Congress-mukt Haryana'," Jangra told PTI over the phone.

Asked if he had withdrawn in the HLP leader's favour, Jangra said, "Gopal Kanda has supported us (BJP) for five years. We have taken this decision for Sirsa's development."

However, Interacting with reporters in Sirsa later, Jangra said, "The party had given the ticket and it was the party's directive (regarding withdrawing of nomination)".

The BJP, like the Congress, will now be contesting 89 of the 90 Assembly seats in the state. The Congress has left the Bhiwani seat for CPI(M).

Last week, the BJP released its third and final list of candidates for the Haryana polls, in which the party fielded Jangra from Sirsa.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) said on Thursday that it was extending support to Kanda in Sirsa.

However, following the BJP's withdrawal of its candidate, INLD leader Abhay Chautala said he would hold discussions with his party leaders to decide whether to continue supporting Kanda.

"If they (BJP) have supported Gopal Kanda and if he has taken their support...I will speak to Kanda regarding this and discuss the issue within our party and then take a decision (on whether to continue support to Kanda)", Kanda told reporters while campaigning in his Ellenabad constituency in Sirsa district.

The INLD is contesting the assembly polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Sirsa after withdrawing his nomination, Jangra said he has been associated with the BJP for more than four decades and had fought the Zila Parishad polls in 1994.

Senior BJP leader and former MP Ashok Tanwar, who accompanied Jangra, said, "There is only one aim which is to form a BJP government for the third time and to have a Congress-mukt Bharat and Congress-mukt Sirsa".

Reacting to Congress allegations that the BJP had "surrendered" before Kanda, Tanwar said, that the opposition party had surrendered before foreign powers.

"On foreign soil, they give statements to weaken the country. And those who have accepted defeat can say anything. We have to keep the Congress at bay," he added.

Polling for the 90 Assembly seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 and the votes will be counted on October 8.

The ruling BJP is eyeing a hat-trick of wins but faces a stiff challenge from a resurgent Congress, which is looking to cash in on the anti-incumbency factor.