BJP Yet To Decide Its Rajya Sabha Nominee From Haryana—Here's Why Party Is Confused

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is struggling to declare its nominee for the Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana due to extensive lobbying by the state leaders vying for the parliamentary berth.

Despite the notification for the vacant seat released on 3 December, the party is yet to decide its nominee. The seat was vacated due to the election of Krishan Lal Panwar to the state legislative assembly.

Pawar was elected from Israna in Panipat, defeating then-incumbent Congress MLA Balbir Singh. He has now been appointed as Panchayat and Mines Minister in the Nayab Saini government.

Since Panwar hails from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, it is believed that the BJP will replace him with another Dalit leader which makes Dr Banwari Lal, former Bawal MLA, the front runner.

In the 2024 assembly election, the BJP cut Lal's ticket and fielded a fresh face to fight anti-incumbency. However, as compensation, the former MLA may now be sent to the Rajya Sabha.

Closeness to Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Union Minister of State Rao Inderjit Singh increase the chances of Lal's nomination but he is facing a tough challenge from Kuldeep Bishnoi.

Bishnoi joined the BJP two years ago after being expelled from Congress over cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha election. His son was then elected to his Adampur assembly seat in the 2022 bypoll and then again in 2024.

While Bishnoi's son Bhavya is settled in the MLA position, the former Congress leader has been vying for a Rajya Sabha seat for himself for quite some time.

In the election held earlier this year, the BJP sent Kiran Choudhry, another former Congress leader to Rajya Sabha. Thus, it will become difficult for the party to nominate Bishnoi amid allegations of promoting defectors.

As a Dalit face, a former member of Parliament (MP) from Sirsa Sunita Duggal also stands a chance to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha. She was earlier denied the Lok Sabha ticket but the fielded in the assembly election.

However, she could not win, which decreased her political stature and might make her appear less eligible for the ticket.

Another Dalit face in the race is Sudesh Kataria who did 22 Dalit Mahasammelans for the 2024 assembly election to woo Dalit votes and succeeded. He may now be rewarded for his efforts.

Other leaders in the race are BJP Haryana president and former MLA Mohan Lal Badoli, a Brahmin face and former Karnal MP Sanjay Bhatia, a Punjabi face.

Bhatia stepped back to let former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar enter into the Lok Sabha and now, he might be compensated with the Rajya Sabha nomination.

If the BJP wants to nominate a Jat face, it has two options: former Haryana BJP president Om Prakash Dhankhar and Captain Abhimanyu.

Both has served as Cabinet Ministers in the first Khattar government from 2014 to 2019 but lost the 2024 assembly election, reducing their stature.

The decision now rests with the party that which community it wants to please with the Rajya Sabha seat. With Punjabis already on its side, and a Jat, Kiran Choudhry, sent to parliament earlier this year, the chances of other community leaders are higher.

The final contest for the Rajya Sabha nomination now remains between the three Dalit leaders, Banwari Lal, Sudesh Kataria and Sunita Duggal, Kuldeep Bishnoi and Mohan Lal Badoli.

With the required number of MLAs in the assembly, the BJP is set to win this seat and the main opposition party Congress is unlikely to field anyone, like it did last time by fielding no one against Kiran Choudhry.