BJP tonight released the first list of 43 candidates for coming assembly elections in Haryana, nearly half the total number of 90 seats, giving ticket to the wife of veteran Congress leader Birender Singh who recently quit Congress and joined the saffron party.
There are seven women and 11 young turks among the 43 candidates.
Prominent among the candidates announced are BJP state secretary Anil Vij from Ambala Cant, Prem Lata Singh, wife of former Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Birender Singh from Uchhana Kalan, O P Dhankar, BJP's Kisan Morcha chief, in Baadli, Gian Chand Gupta and former Chandigarh Mayor in Panchkula.
Former Haryana ministers Jagdish Nehra in Rania, Krishna Gehlawat in Rai and Chattarpal Singh in Hansi were also named in the first list of candidates.
BJP's youth leader from Rohtak Capt Abhimanyu will contest from Narnaund and BJP Haryana unit president Ram Bilas Sharma will battle for Mahendragarh seat.
Sitting MLA from Sonepat Kavita Jain has been renominated from the segment while senior BJP leader Santosh Yadav will fight from Ateli.
A revamped Central Election Committee, which excluded party veterans L K Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi, met for the first time today under the presidentship of Amit Shah and cleared the 43 names after discussions in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CEC members including union ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari.
CEC's new secretary J P Nadda announced the names saying, "we have tried to represent all sections in the first list and have given seven tickets to women and 11 to youth. The next CEC meeting will be held soon after the declaration of polls".
Haryana has 90 assembly seats and the tenure of the legislature will end on October 27. The schedule for elections is expected to be declared this week.
