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The BJP today released its second list of candidates for Haryana Assembly elections, adding 21 more names.

So far, the party has declared 87 candidates for the 90-member assembly. The BJP has pitted Captain Yogesh Bairagi against Olympian Vinesh Phogat who is set to contest the polls on a Congress ticket from Julana.

In the first list of 67 candidates, the party fielded Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini from Karnal to the Ladwa seat. Mr Saini served as the MP from Kurukshetra between 2019 and 2024. Prominent leaders like former state BJP president Om Prakash Dhankar, who now holds a national secretary role in the party, have been fielded from the Badli constituency. Another key figure, Anil Vij, the veteran party leader and former state minister, is set to contest from his traditional stronghold of Ambala Cantt.

Several political heavyweights who have recently switched allegiance to the BJP have been rewarded with tickets. Devender Singh Babli, formerly of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), will now contest from Tohana, while Shruti Choudhry, a recent entrant and the granddaughter of former Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal, is set to run from Tosham. Similarly, Rao Inderjit Singh’s daughter, Aarti Singh Rao, has been given the Ateli seat, along with several other loyalists of the Union Minister, further cementing the party’s presence in south Haryana.

With the assembly polls scheduled for October 5, the BJP is aiming for a third consecutive victory in the state. However, the ruling party faces stiff competition from a resurgent Congress. The counting of votes is scheduled for October 8.