In Jind, Surjewala, Chautala file nomination

 Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala and Digvijay Chautala, a great grandson of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, filed their nomination papers on Thursday for the Jind Assembly seat by-election to be held on January 28.

While Surjewala will be the Congress candidate, Chautala will be contesting on the recently floated Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). The JJP was floated last month after a split in the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in November.

Surjewala, a former cabinet Minister in Haryana, is now the Congress legislator from Kaithal.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana has fielded Krishan Middha, the son of former INLD legislator from Jind Hari Chand Middha, who passed away in August last year, making the seat fell vacant.

The INLD, which had won the seat in the October 2014 Assembly elections, has fielded Umed Singh Redu for the by-poll.

All candidates from the major political parties filed their nomination papers on Thursday, which was the last date of filing of nomination papers.

The entire top Congress leadership was present in full strength for Surjewala's nomination. These included former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former union Minister Selja, senior leader Kiran Chaudhary, state Congress President Ashok Tanwar and others.

Digvijay Chautala is the younger brother of Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala.-IANS