Chandigarh, Jan 7: With two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana set to fall vacant on April 9, the BJP has begun internal deliberations over caste and community representation ahead of elections expected in March.
As per the current Assembly arithmetic, both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress are expected to secure one seat each, with 31 votes needed to win. The BJP has 48 MLAs of its own and the backing of three Independents, while the Congress has 37 legislators in the 90-member House. The INLD holds two seats.
Despite the numbers, political circles are abuzz with speculation over whether the BJP could attempt to engineer a second seat by securing cross-votes from Congress MLAs, as it did earlier by backing Independents Subhash Chandra and Kartikeya Sharma. “It is difficult, but not impossible,” a senior political observer said, adding that the party would need the support of at least six to seven Congress MLAs.
The vacancies are arising due to the retirement of Kiran Chaudhry and Ram Chander Jangra. Chaudhry belongs to the Jat community, while Jangra represents the OBC category. At present, the BJP holds all five Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana.
Party insiders said caste considerations are central to the BJP’s internal discussions. “The leadership is examining all options to strike a balance across communities,” a BJP functionary said.
Among Jat leaders, former state BJP chief and ex-minister OP Dhankar and former minister JP Dalal are seen as contenders. Chaudhry, who had entered the Rajya Sabha for a term of less than two years, is also trying for a full six-year tenure.
From the Brahmin community, state BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli and senior leader Ram Bilas Sharma are in the race, even though the community already has representation through Kartikeya Sharma and Subhash Barala. Sources said Badoli could be accommodated in the Upper House if he does not continue as state unit chief. “The party does not want to sideline experienced leaders,” a source said.
The BJP is also weighing the Dalit claim, as the community currently has no Rajya Sabha representation from Haryana. Former MP Sunita Duggal and ex-minister Banwari Lal are being discussed as possible nominees.
Punjabi leaders, including former Karnal MP Sanjay Bhatia and former minister Manish Grover, are also in the reckoning. Both are considered close to Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the BJP’s prominent Punjabi face in the state.
The name of Kuldeep Bishnoi, a non-Jat leader and son of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, has also been circulating, though it remains unclear whether the party will back him or prefer a leader who has risen entirely within the BJP ranks.
In the absence of consensus on a senior face, the BJP could opt for a surprise nomination, replicating its December 2024 decision to field Rekha Sharma. “Nothing is final yet. The leadership is keeping its options open,” a party insider said.
