New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has unveiled its first list of candidates for the Haryana Assembly elections. Out of the 90 constituencies in the state, the list features 67 candidates, chosen after extensive discussions by the Central Election Committee. In a bid to secure a broad support base, the BJP has distributed tickets across various castes and communities, ensuring representation for influential voter groups and smaller, marginalized sections of society.8 Tickets for female candidatesIn a move aimed at wooing women voters, the BJP has fielded eight women candidates. Haryanas voter list shows a significant female electorate, with over 9.5 million registered women voters, making female representation a key focus for the party.OBC, SC representationThe BJP has also prioritized Other Backward Classes (OBC), allocating nine tickets to candidates from backward communities such as Gujjar, Yadav, Kashyap, Kumhar, Kamboj, and Saini. This is seen as an attempt to rebuild trust among OBC voters, whose support waned during the last Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP secured only five of the ten seats in Haryana.With 13 out of 41 seats allotted to candidates from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, the BJP has given considerable attention to Dalit representation. The list includes candidates from Valmiki, Dhanuk, Bavariya, Bajigar, and Jatav communities, reflecting the partys outreach to a significant voter base.Strong Jaat representationThe Jaat community also features prominently in the list, with 13 candidates fielded. Additionally, five Vaishya and nine Brahmin candidates have been given tickets, showcasing the BJPs strategy of balancing major and minor community representation in the state.Fresh faces, youth participationNew candidates form a large part of the BJPs strategy, with 27 fresh faces included in the list. This move aims to attract young voters and inject fresh energy into the partys campaign.Despite its criticism of nepotism in opposition parties, the BJP has also given tickets to relatives of prominent political figures. Notable names include Gaurav Gautam, Bhavya Bishnoi, and Manmohan Bhadana. Moreover, Kabaddi captain Deepak Hooda has secured a ticket, while other sports figures like Babita Phogat were not included in the list.
