BJP releases first list of 67 candidates for Haryana polls, CM Nayab Singh Saini to contest from Ladwa

The list includes the names of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who will be contesting from the Ladwa constituency, and former minister Anil Vij.

Vij will be the BJP's candidate from the Ambala Cantonment constituency, a seat he has won three successive times since 2009.

Saini, who was an MP from Kurukshetra until he replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as the Haryana chief minister in March this year, is currently an representative from the Karnal Assembly seat, which he won in a by-poll in June.

The other candidates of the saffron party include Ambala Mayor and former Union Minister Vinod Sharma's wife Shakti Rani Sharma, who will be contesting from the Kalka assembly constituency. Sharma is the mother of Manu Sharma, a convict in the Jessica Lal murder case.

Shruti Choudhry who left the Congress and joined the BJP with her mother - Rajya Sabha MP Kiran Choudhry - in June has been given a ticket from Tosham.

Three former legislators from the Jannayak Janata Party, which was the BJP's ally until this year, have also been fielded including Devender Singh Babli from Tohana, Ram Kumar Gautam from Safidon, and Anoop Dhanak from Uklana.

Some of the other inclusions are Deepak Hooda, who has been the captain of the Indian Kabaddi team, from Meham, and Union Minister Om Prakash Dhankar, who will be contesting from Badli.

Haryana will go to polls on Oct 5 with results on Oct 8.