NEW DELHI: The BJP received a significant boost ahead of the Haryana elections as two prominent Jat leaders, Devender Singh Babli and Sunil Sangwan, joined the party on Monday in the presence of National General Secretary Arun Singh. Babli, a former minister in Manohar Lal Khattar's administration and a rebel from the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), and Sangwan, a former Jail Superintendent who is the son of ex-minister Satpal Sangwan, are expected to run for Assembly seats in Tohana and Charkhi Dadri, respectively.

This move follows the recent inclusion of three JJP rebel MLAs into the BJP at a rally in Jind, attended by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and state election co-incharge Biplab Deb. The MLAs—Ram Kumar Gautam from Narnaund, Jogi Ram Sihag from Barwala, and Anoop Dhanak, a former minister and JJP MLA from Uklana—resigned from the JJP and, in some cases, from the state Assembly.

Notably, JJP MLA Ram Niwas Surjekhera did not attend the rally due to criminal charges against him. Chief Minister Saini, leading the BJP’s campaign, is highlighting the party’s measures for farmers, Dalits, and the poor, and accusing the Congress of spreading misinformation.

With Haryana's Assembly elections scheduled for October 5, just two months after the parliamentary elections, the political climate is heating up. The BJP is aiming for a third consecutive term under Chief Minister Saini, despite facing anti-incumbency and farmer discontent. The Congress, with strong support from farmers and government employees and led by Bhupinder Hooda, is presenting a formidable challenge. The AAP has also launched its campaign, targeting the BJP over issues like unemployment, law and order, and the Agnipath scheme, promising various benefits including free electricity and education.