New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has dealt a significant blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana with the defection of two prominent leaders. Satish Yadav, former Chairman of the Rewari District Council, has joined AAP along with his councillor wife and associates. Yadav’s departure from BJP is seen as a major gain for AAP, which may nominate him as its candidate from Rewari.
In another significant move, Sunil Rao, a key member of BJP’s election management committee, has also joined AAP. Rao has held various positions within BJP and is likely to be fielded as AAP’s legislative assembly candidate from Gurugram. It should be noted that Rao is the husband of Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao’s cousin.
AAP announces 29 candidates
AAP released its second list of candidates for the Haryana assembly elections on Tuesday, announcing names for nine additional seats in the 90-member assembly. The announcement came just a day after the Arvind Kejriwal-led party unveiled its candidates for 20 constituencies, amid ongoing pre-poll alliance negotiations with the Congress, which has shifted from a rival to a potential partner.
“The Party hereby announces the following candidates for the state elections for Haryana Assembly,” the AAP said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Congress-AAP alliance Lok Sabha polls
In the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, the Congress and AAP contested as part of the Congress-led opposition INDIA bloc in several states, including Delhi and Haryana. Of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, Congress fielded candidates in nine constituencies, leaving Kurukshetra for AAP. While five Congress candidates emerged victorious, the lone AAP candidate was defeated.