Who will contest against Vinesh Phogat? BJP releases second list of candidates for Haryana polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday released its second list of 21 candidates for the Haryana Assembly elections scheduled to be held on October 5. With this, the party has now declared the names of 88 candidates for the 90-member assembly.

The party has fielded former ministers Krishan Kumar Bedi and Manish Grover from Narwana and Rohtak seats, respectively.

In Julana, Capt Yogesh Bairagi will take on wrestler Vinesh Phogat whose recent entry into the Congress party had sparked a political storm. Bairagi is currently the state vice president of the BJP's youth wing and the co-convenor of the party's Haryana Sports Cell.

The saffron party has fielded Pawan Saini, considered close to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, from the Naraingarh seat. Senior leader Satpal Jamba will fight the polls from Pundri.

Yogender Rana has been fielded from Assandh, Devender Kaushik from Ganaur, Krishna Gahlawat from Rai and Pradeep Sangwan from Baroda.

Baldev Singh Mangiana will fight the Dabwali seat, Manish Grover has been nominated for Rohtak, Om Prakash Yadav for Narnaul, Krishna Kumar for Bawal (SC), Bimla Chaudhary for Pataudi (SC), Sanjay Singh for Nuh and Naseem Ahmed for Ferozepur Jhirka seat.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday filed his nomination in Ladwa. Addressing media persons later, Saini said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the state on September 14 for election campaigning.

“One thing that is assured is that the public will form the double-engine BJP government in Haryana for the third time. PM Modi will be arriving in Haryana on 14th September and we will offer him a rousing welcome,” he said.