Haryana BJP leaders bat for Sushma Swaraj as CM

CHANDIGARH: Even as BJP is yet to take a call on its chief ministerial candidate for Haryana assembly elections, there are intense talks in the party circles about projecting Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for the post. Local party leaders, including an MP and some MLAs, are rooting for Sushma to be declared as the CM candidate for the upcoming polls.
Lok Sabha MP from Karnal, Ashwini Chopra, said that Shushma Swaraj may be projected as the CM candidate. Speaking to TOI on Friday, Chopra said that Swaraj would be a good choice among all aspirants for the post hailing from Haryana. However, Chopra made it clear that the party had not taken a final decision on the matter.
"There are at least 500 aspirants for chief ministership in the state BJP, so party is thinking whom to nominate for the post. That's why nobody has been projected as yet. Hence, people have started saying that Swaraj may be projected for the post. But we have to see whether she would like to come back to Haryana (as CM) after handling important responsibilities like the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and cabinet minister in the previous NDA government at the Centre, which was led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee," he said.
Leader of BJP legislative group in the state assembly, Anil Vij, also felt that her projection might be a good step. Haryana BJP spokesperson Veer Kumar Yadav also said that it would be a happy moment for the party workers if she was projected as the CM.
"She is a popular leader and keeps meeting with workers and leaders of the state unit. Central leadership would take a final call on it. We have yet not been told whether the party would project any leader as the CM candidate before the Vidhan Sabha polls," said Yadav.
However, sources close to Sushma Swaraj told TOI that she may not be keen for the post after remaining active in central politics for the past 25 years. Echoing similar sentiments, many leaders in state BJP also felt that she might not like to come back to Haryana after holding important assignments at the Centre. "It is true that if Swaraj is projected as the chief minister, then many of the other aspirants won't oppose her candidature keeping in view her seniority. But I don't think that she will be interested in state politics now. Moreover, if the party wanted to project her for the post, it would not have taken so much time," said a senior leader requesting anonymity.
Many of the aspirants for the top post in Haryana feel that BJP is not going to project anybody. "If party projects anybody for the top job, then it may lead to factionalism. Many may even try to work against the chief ministerial nominee during the elections," said a BJP leader.
Swaraj was Haryana's youngest minister
Sushma Swaraj had become India's youngest state cabinet minister at 25 years of age in 1977 when she was inducted as labour and employment minister in Haryana's Devi Lal government. She had campaigned against the Emergency after joining Janata Party movement in 1975. Sushma, 62, who belongs to Palwal town of Haryana, has contested 11 direct elections from four states of India. She became first woman chief minister of Delhi in 1996.
Increasing army of CM hopefuls
Even before Sushma Swaraj's name cropped up for chief minstership, Haryana BJP already had more than half-a-dozen aspirants, including former national spokesperson Captain Abhimanyu, farm leader Om Prakash Dhankhar, state unit chief Ram Bilas Sharma and Manohar Lal Khattar. Two Union ministers from Haryana Rao Inderjit Singh and Krishan Pal Gurjar, apart from Birender Singh, who had recently joined the saffron party after leaving the Congress, are also known claimants for the top job. Many in the party believe, leader of BJP legislative group Anil Vij may also be considered keeping in view his stature.