Haryana Vidhansabha Chunav 2024: The BJP has nominated Captain Yogesh Bairagi from Haryana’s Julana seat. Bairagi, a 35-year-old former army officer and commercial pilot, hails from Paanju Kalan village and resides in Safidon. Bairagi plays an active role in the BJP, serving in various capacities such as state vice president of the youth wing, state co-convener of the sports cell, and a member of the state executive committee for the youth wing in Haryana. He is married, has one son, holds a Bachelor’s degree, and is currently engaged in business.
Bairagi served in the Indian Army as a Captain for nine years before transitioning into aviation and eventually politics. His father, Narendra Kumar, also pursued a political career and previously sought a BJP ticket.
Bairagi gained attention for his involvement in relief and rescue operations during the Chennai floods and for participating in the Vande Bharat Mission during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Julana, a constituency with a majority Jat population, consists of about 81,000 Jat voters, along with significant Backward Class (33,608) and Scheduled Caste (29,661) communities. In a strategic decision, the BJP has chosen to field Bairagi, a non-Jat candidate from the backward class, aiming to expand its reach across various voter groups. Now, it will be interesting to see whether fielding a non-Jat candidate against former wrestler and Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat proves to be a masterstroke by Narendra Modi-led BJP or a mistake as Phogat enjoys a sympathy factor in this election following her unexpected exit from the Paris Olympics 2024.
The Julana seat has been a distant dream for Congress. In the last election, the seat was won by JJP in 2019 and the Indian National Lok Dal in 2014 and 2009. The Congress last won the seat in 2005. The BJP has also not won the seat so far.