Haryana votes for new Assembly: Sportspersons, dynasts, 'turncoats' in fray

Agnipath scheme, wrestlers' protests, farmers' agitation among issues in elections

Haryana will vote to choose a new Assembly on Saturday, picking from 1,031 candidates who are a mix of industrialists, sportspersons, dynastic politicians and so-called turncoats.

The state, which has been run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led governments since 2014, saw some high-voltage dramas in recent months. It includes a ban on the entry of then Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala into some villages for not supporting the protesting farmers, the exit of Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister on March 12, the entry of wrestler Vinesh Phogat in politics and the return of Ashok Tanwar to Congress just hours after campaigning for the BJP.

 

With issues like unemployment, the Agnipath scheme, wrestlers' protests, farmers' agitation and changing caste dynamics, this election is expected to be absorbing.

Sportspersons in fray

Haryana, which is known for producing world-class sports stars, will see several of them fighting elections.

The Congress has fielded Phogat, a three-time Olympian, in Julana,. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has nominated Kavita Dalal, a South Asian Games gold medallist in weightlifting and India’s first woman WWE participant, in the constituency.

The BJP has fielded Deepak Hooda, a former Indian kabaddi captain and Asian Games bronze medallist, in Meham.

Another interesting candidate is Arti Singh Rao, daughter of Rao Inderjit Singh who recently left BJP to join Congress. Arti is an international shooter and is contesting on a BJP ticket from Ateli.

Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram

With Tanwar shifting back to Congress, the famous phrase of Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram has returned to the forefront in Haryana. Before these elections, several politicians shifted their parties in the hope of getting tickets.

In June, Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhry ended her 45-year association with Congress and joined the BJP along with her daughter Shruti Chaudhary. Shruti is contesting as a BJP candidate in Tosham.

Ahead of Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, Rao Birender Singh and his son Brijendra returned to Congress by resigning from the BJP. Brijendra was an MP from Hisar but is now contesting assembly elections for Congress from Uchana Kalan.

Four sitting MLAs from Dushyant's JJP: Jogiram Sihag, Anoop Dhanak, Ram Kumar Gautam and Devender Singh Babli, also joined the BJP in recent weeks. Three of these are contesting the polls for BJP this year. Dhanak is contesting from Uklana, Gautam from Safidon and Babli from Tohana.

Ranjit Singh Chautala and Savitri Jindal are contesting independently in Rania and Hisar constituencies after being denied tickets by the BJP.

Ranjit was expelled by BJP just days ahead of the elections for contesting independently. Jindal continues to be a part of the BJP formally.

Dynasty politics continues

Apart from Arti Rao, there are several examples of dynasty politics in the Haryana assembly elections 2024.  

Brijendra Singh will fight Dushyant Chautala in Uchana Kalan; cousins Shruti Chaudhary and Anirudh Chaudhary are candidates in Tosham, and Ranjeet Chautala and his grandnephew Arjun Chautala are contesting against each other in Rania. Digvijay Chautala, Aditya Chautala and Amit Sihag -- the three are related -- are contestants in Dabwali constituency.

Bhavya Bishnoi, grandson of former chief minister Bhajan Lal and son of Kuldeep Bishnoi, is the BJP's candidate in Adampur. Kuldeep's brother Chander Mohan is contesting from Panchkula for the Congress.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 1,031 candidates in Haryana elections, 10% are women
• 13% candidates have criminal cases against them
• 52% candidates are crorepatis; BJP's share highest in this lot
• Rs 8.68 crore is average asset per candidate. It was Rs 4.31 crore in 2019
• BJP's Captain Abhimanyu richest candidate with assets worth Rs 491 crore
• 5 candidates have declared zero assets
• HLP's Gopal Kanda from Sirsa has highest liabilities of Rs 83 crore