In a recent development in Haryana’s political arena, the Congress party has finalized its candidates for the Lok Sabha seats, including the nomination of actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar from the Gurugram constituency. Babbar’s nomination came as a surprise to some, as Captain Ajay Yadav was also a potential candidate for the ticket but ultimately did not receive the nomination.
The Congress and AAP alliance in Haryana, under the “India Coalition”, has fielded candidates for all Lok Sabha seats, indicating a fully prepared lineup for the upcoming electoral battle. Raj Babbar, with his prominent profile, is expected to add significant weight to the Congress’s efforts in Gurugram, a seat where the BJP has re-nominated Rao Inderjit Singh, who has already filed his nomination.
The list of Congress candidates appears to be heavily influenced by the faction led by former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, with most candidates being close associates within his political circle. Over 400 leaders reportedly applied for a Congress ticket, highlighting the intense competition and interest within the party ranks.
The party has strategically chosen its candidates based on regional and caste equations to strengthen its position across various constituencies. Here’s a look at some of the other key matchups in Haryana:
- Ambala: Varun Chaudhary (Congress/AAP) vs Banto Kataria (BJP)
- Sirsa: Kumari Selja (Congress/AAP) vs Ashok Tanwar (BJP)
- Hisar: Jay Prakash (Congress/AAP) vs Ranjit Singh Chautala (BJP)
- Kurukshetra: Sushil Gupta (Congress/AAP) vs Naveen Jindal (BJP)
- Karnal: Divyanshu Buddhiraja (Congress/AAP) vs Manohar Lal (BJP)
- Bhiwani-Mahendragarh: Rao Dan Singh (Congress/AAP) vs Chaudhary Dharambir (BJP)
