In a significant development ahead of the Rajya Sabha bypolls, BJP leader Kiran Choudhry submitted her nomination papers on Wednesday as the party’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana. The nomination was filed in the Legislative Assembly complex in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and several BJP MLAs.
Choudhry’s candidacy follows her recent resignation from the Haryana Vidhan Sabha and her switch from the Congress to the BJP, a move she made two months ago. The Rajya Sabha bypoll was necessitated after Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda was elected to the Lok Sabha from Rohtak, leaving the Rajya Sabha seat vacant.
Choudhry, a former Haryana minister, joined the BJP along with her daughter Shruti and their supporters in June. She had previously represented the Tosham constituency in the Haryana assembly. With the BJP holding a majority in the assembly, Choudhry’s election to the Rajya Sabha is seen as highly probable.
The bypolls for the 12 vacant Rajya Sabha seats across nine states are scheduled for September 3. The deadline for filing nominations is today, August 21, with the scrutiny of papers set for August 22. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until August 27. Should there be a need for voting, it will occur on September 3 at the Haryana Vidhan Sabha Secretariat from 9 am to 4 pm.
Following Choudhry’s resignation, the BJP now holds 41 seats in the 90-member Haryana assembly. The Congress has 28 seats, while the JJP holds 10. There are also five Independents, one member each from the INLD and the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP), and four vacant seats. The BJP benefits from the support of Independent MLA Nayan Pal Rawat and HLP MLA Gopal Kanda. Meanwhile, three Independents support the Congress.
Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda has indicated that the party will not field a candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat due to a lack of numbers in the assembly.
Sources By Agencies