Chandigarh, Oct 9 (IANS): Self-proclaimed cow vigilante Naveen Dalal, who had claimed to have attacked former JNU students' union leader Umar Khalid in 2018, has a new role and new name, too.

Facing charges for attempted murder and rioting, Dalal, who has never filed an Income Tax return, is in the Haryana poll fray for the October 21 Assembly elections as a Shiv Sena candidate.

Dalal says he joined the party six months ago.

He filed his nominations as Naval Naveen and is contesting from Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar district.

Hailing from Mandauthi, a village in Bahadurgarh known as the "nursery of wrestlers", the 29-year-old said he joined the Shiv Sena because of its ideology on "nationalism and cow protection".

Party president (Haryana South) Vikram Yadav said Dalal was fighting for nationalistic issues like cow protection and against anti-national elements.

According to him, both the BJP and Congress governments don't have anything to do for the farmers, martyrs, cows and the poor. They are just interested in politics.

In August 2018, two people from Haryana had reportedly claimed responsibility for attacking Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid, who was shot at outside the Constitution Club in Delhi on August 13.

Both claimed they were members of cow-protection groups and claimed responsibility for the attempt on the life of Khalid.

In a video uploaded on Facebook, Dalal from Jhajjar and Darvesh Shahpur from Jind claimed the attack on Khalid was their "gift to India on Independence Day".

As per his election affidavit, undergraduate and agriculturist Dalal said he has been facing three criminal cases.

While one of the cases against Dalal is undergoing in a Bahadurgarh court, the other two in Patiala House in Delhi.