CHANDIGARH: There is only chair, but claimants plenty. For the forthcoming Haryana Assembly elections, eight political parties are in the fray and between them have thrown up as many as 18 leaders with aspirations to be chief minister.
Of the chief minister hopefuls, as many as 10 are from the BJP. However, the party high command has said it will not announce any chief ministerial candidate and the party will ask for votes in Modi’s name. It has warned state leaders to refrain from projecting themselves as claimants for the post.
BJP
Birender Singh: Powerful Jat leader and Rajya Sabha member. He announced his decision to join the BJP recently and has long aspired for the top post. The former finance minister of the state lost the 2009 Assembly polls by a narrow margin of 621 votes to Om Prakash Chautala.
Rao Inderjit: After spending almost 35 years in the Congress, left the party before the Lok Sabha elections and joined BJP and won from Gurgaon. He is now a minister in the Modi government. The scion of the Rewari royal family is a strong contender for chief ministership.
Ram Bilas Sharma: The state BJP President is sitting MLA from Mahendergarh and served as Public Health Minister from 1987 to 1990 and Education Minister from 1996 to 1999. Elected unopposed as state unit president for the second time.
Manohar Lal Khattar: National Executive Committee Member has been associated withe the RSS and the BJP for 40 years. A strategist and leader of election campaigns.
Capt. Abhimanyu: National spokesperson has spent 16 years with the party. The Jat leader yields clout in the Rohtak area.
Om Prakash Dhankar: The BJP Kisan Morcha President is a prominent farmer leader of the state.
Anil Vij: MLA from Ambala (Cantt) and BJP leader of the House.
Krishan Pal Gujjar: Union Minister from Faridabad was earlier transport minister in the Bansi Lal Government.
Rattan Lal Kataria: Ambala MP.
Congress
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda: This is his second stint as CM, he has been state party president and leader of the Opposition earlier. Hooda has a strong grip over the state, especially Rohtak. However, not all his cabinet colleagues are happy with him.
Capt. Ajay Yadav: Irrigation Minister is a six-time MLA from Rewari. His son is married to one of Lalu Prasad’s daughters. Has clout in the Ahir community.
Randeep Singh Surjewala: Kaithal MLA and Jat leader is currently parliamentary affairs and PWD minister in the government. He is also AICC spokesperson. Considered close to the party high command.
Kumari Selja: Rajya Sabha member and former Union Minister is one of the senior-most Dalit leaders within the Congress. A vocal critic of Hooda.
Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC)
Party chief Kuldeep Bishnoi: Son of former CM Bhajan Lal, formed the party in 2007. Lost from Hisar in the last Lok Sabha elections.
JCP
Party chief Venod Sharma: Once a close confidant of Chief Minister Hooda. Quit the party in March. Influential in Kurukshetra and Karnal.
Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP)
Gopal Goyal Kanda: Sitting Independent MLA from Sisra (City). Was home minister in Hooda government but had to quit after being booked in the Geetika Sharma suicide case.
BSP
Arvind Sharma: Former Congress MP from Karnal has been declared BSP’s Chief Ministerial candidate by Mayawati. Sharma has a lot of influence in Karnal.