Grappling with mass exodus, JJP rolls out first list of candidates

Chandigarh: Abandoned by its key leaders in the past few days, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) fielded its first list of candidates on Wednesday for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections.

Former Chief Minister and Uchana MLA Dushyant Chautala has again entered the election fray from her constituency. At the same time, MLA Amarjeet Dhanda will contest the polls from Dhanda in what is a reward for his loyalty to the regional party.

Trust has again been reposed in former MLA Rajdeep Phogat. The Uchana constituency in Jind is dominated by the Jats and it has become a question of prestige for the Devi Lal family. Devi Lal’s grandson Dushyant Chautala will again contest the elections from there.

Dushyant has challenged former Union Minister Birendra Singh in the electoral battle by contesting again from Uchana. Dhanda proved to be the biggest loyalist of the JJP. In the year 2019, JJP became the kingmaker with 10 MLAs. But by 2024, JJP disintegrated and seven MLAs abandoned the party. Not only this, former MLA from Uklana, Anoop Dhanak, who was a minister for four-and-a-half years, also changed sides and former Panchayat Minister Devendra Babli also left JJP.

Former MLA from Narnaund Ram Kumar Gautam, former MLA from Barwala Jogiram Sihag, former MLA from Guhla-Chika Ishwar Singh, former MLA from Shahabad Ramkaran Kala quitted JJP too followed suit.

In the face of such a scenario, Dhanda stood by the party. The party has not declared its candidate from Badhra in the first list.

Meanwhile, Azad Samaj Party has announced four candidates in the first list. All are from districts adjoining

the UP border.