Chandigarh: Four-time legislator and Congress rebel, Kiran Choudhry, 69, on Wednesday, filed her nomination for the bypoll to the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Haryana as a BJP nominee.
She said she had given 45 years to the Congress and now “till her last breath would advocate for the policies of the BJP”.
The BJP is set to win the seat unopposed as the main opposition Congress has declared that it will not be fielding a candidate.
The bypoll was necessitated after Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda was elected to the Lok Sabha from Rohtak in June. The term of this seat ends on April 9, 2026.
Accompanying Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, party in-charge for the state, Biplab Kumar Deb, and state unit President Mohan Lal Badoli, former Minister Kiran Choudhry, filed her nomination papers in the Legislative Assembly here.
She switched sides two months ago after resigning from the Congress.
Talking to the media after filing the papers, she said, “It’s my luck that I got the opportunity to join the BJP to serve the country and my state. Our family has old ties with the BJP. Chaudhary Bansi Lal formed the government in the state with the BJP,” she said.
Kiran Choudhry is the daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Bansi Lal, who is known as the ‘architect’ of modern-day Haryana. She was upset with the Congress as her daughter Shruti was denied a ticket to contest the last Lok Sabha polls from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh.
She’s the wife of the late Surender Singh. On Tuesday Kiran Choudhry resigned as the legislator from the Tosham seat.
Kiran Choudhry, who often described former Chief Minister and Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar as her “bade bhai” (elder brother), thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Saini and Khattar for giving her the opportunity to serve the party. “Influenced by policies of PM Modi and former (Haryana) CM Manohar Lal, I have joined the BJP.”
“The BJP works with a vision and has a strong leadership,” she added, taking multiple swipes at the Congress.
Kiran Choudhry was elected as MLA of the Congress from Tosham in Bhiwani in 2019. She resigned from the primary membership of the Congress, saying the state unit of the party was being run as a “personal fiefdom”, indirectly referring to former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala has accused Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Hooda of giving a walkover to the BJP in the Rajya Sabha bypoll.
The main Opposition Congress has decided not to field any candidate, citing a lack of majority in the House of 90.
To win the seat, a candidate requires the support of 44 legislators. With the resignation of Kiran Choudhry, the House strength has been reduced to 87.
With the switch of loyalty by Kiran Choudhry, the Congress has 28 MLAs. Three Independents have extended their support to the Congress, increasing its number to 31.
The BJP has 41 legislators. With the support of the Haryana Lokhit Party’s lone legislator, Gopal Kanda, and Independent Nayan Pal Rawat, their tally reached 43.
Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) legislators Ram Niwas Surjakhera and Jogi Ram Sihag had supported BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha polls. If they also extend support to the BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate, the party’s tally would reach 45.
The Congress has petitioned Speaker Gian Chand Gupta for the disqualification of Kiran Choudhry, while the JJP has sought the disqualification of Surjakhera and Sihag. Both cases are still pending.
As per the election schedule, nominations can be submitted by a candidate or their proposer on any working day till August 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh to the Returning Officer or Assistant Returning Officer.
The scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on August 22 at 10 a.m. The candidates can withdraw their nominations until August 27. If required, voting will take place on September 3.
–IANS