Kuldeep Bishnoi left out in the cold in the political shake-up in Haryana

The Bishnoi family seems to be the biggest loser following the political shake-up in Haryana and the subsequent announcement of candidates for theLok Sabha polls by the BJP.

Kuldeep Bishnoi, the son of former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal, who was said to be eyeing the Hisar Lok Sabha seat, lost out to state Power Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala, a scion of the Devi Lal dynasty. Bishnoi reportedly had hopes of finding a place in the BJP’s list of candidates in neighbouring Rajasthan, where the community is said to wield considerable influence. But that too didn’t happen.

Moreover, post the exit of Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) from the NDA and Nayab Singh Saini taking over as CM of the state, Bishnoi hoped for his son and Adampur MLA Bhavya Bishnoi to be accommodated in the new Cabinet — which too didn’t come to pass.

On Monday, Bishnoi put out a video message, saying: “I have been receiving a lot of phone calls… I know there is disappointment, but there is a long life ahead,” he said.

Bishnoi joined the BJP in 2022, resigning as the Adampur MLA of the Congress. In the bypoll that followed, Bhavya won the seat.

With an eye on the Bishnoi community votes in Rajasthan, the BJP last year appointed Bishnoi as the co-incharge for the Assembly polls in the state held in November. Defying predictions of a close race, the BJP had won in Rajasthan with 115 of the 200 seats. The big victory had boosted the hopes of the father-son duo of getting bigger responsibilities either in Haryana or the Centre.

Sources close to Bishnoi are claiming he won’t take any hasty move, and that they understand the BJP’s “compulsions” behind fielding Ranjit Chautala, whose late father Devi Lal (former deputy prime minister) still