Haryana Election 2024: Here are the Big Shots who are trying their lucks today
Haryana, Oct 5: Haryana is voting from this morning.Polling for as many as 90 Assembly Constituencies is underway amid tough security.
The fate of about 1031 candidates including Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Vinesh Phogat will be sealed in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) by 7 PM today as elections to the 90-member assembly began across the state from 7AM.
Among the thousands of candidates in the democratic fray, there are a number of big shots, who are quite phenomenal for their pleasant personality, popularity, and political inheritance.
The biggest stakeholder, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eyeing a hat-trick of electoral victories in the state while the Congress party is hoping to make a comeback after being in opposition for a decade for which it has nominated some ace leaders to fight the battle.
Apart from the BJP and the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) have also fielded their befitting candidates, aspiring their own reigns over the potential state.
Apart from the legendary leaders and political veterans, some freshers and apolitical persons have descened to the democratic race this time for their social affiliation with a mission to bestow a good governance to the people of Haryana.
Here are some big shots who are almost fighting the great battle of democracy as samaritans and social workers with utmost sportsmanship and their valued segments they have opted to serve from.
Savitri Jindal – Hisar
Savitri Jindal, a woman icon, is the mother of Naveen Jindal who is the pioneer of Jindal Steel and Power (JSP Group). Though, the ace industrialist was affiliated with BJP, Savitri Jindal, is contesting the today’s election as an independent candidate from Hisar seat. The chairperson of the OP Jindal Group, Savitri is one of the India’s richest women and mother of BJP MP Naveen Jindal. She has net worth of Rs 270 crore, making her the second wealthiest candidate in the race.
Savitri has been an MLA from Hisar earlier too and has also served as a minister in the Hooda-led Congress government. In August, Forbes ranked her as the wealthiest woman in India, with the Jindal Group valued at $39.5 billion.
CM Nayab Singh Saini – Ladwa
BJP leader and incumbent chief minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini is contesting from the Ladwa Assembly seat in Kurukshetra district. In 2014, Saini won from Naraingarh Assembly, In 2019 he won from the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha.
Bhupinder Singh Hooda – Garhi Sampla-Kiloi
Former chief minister Hooda is a veteran Congress leader who is contesting from the his traditional Garhi Sampla-Kiloi seat in Rohtak district. The two-time chief minister and four-time MP is seen as a probable CM candidate of the Congress party, even as there has not been any official announcement yet.
The leader of the opposition in Haryana is a prominent Jat leader in a state where the community plays a significant role in determining the outcome in about 40 of the 90 seats voting today.
Vinesh Phogat – Julana
Wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat is contesting from the Julana seat in Jind district as a Congress candidate. Phogat hails from Charkhi Dadri district, but her in-laws are from Julana. The Olympian Phogat was among wrestlers at the forefront of the protest against then Wrestling Federation of India chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in 2023.
Captain Abhimanyu – Narnaund
Former Army officer Captain Abhimanyu is a prominent BJP leader and Jat leader contesting from the Narnaund assembly seat in Hisar district. With total assets worth ₹491 crore, Abhimanyu is the wealthiest candidate in today's Haryana Elections.
A Harvard graduate, Abhimanyu left the Army in 1994 after six years of service. He also cracked UPSC and gave up IAS.
Dushyant Chautala – Uchana Kalan
Dushyant Chautala is a fourth-generation politician from the family of Chaudhary Devi Lal, the former deputy prime minister who also served as chief minister of Haryana two times and founded the INLD.
Dushyant's father Ajay Singh Chautala is Om Prakash Chautala’s son. Om Prakash is one of the four sons of Devi Lal. Dushyant, the former deputy chief minister of Haryana, is in the fray from the Uchana Kalan seat in Jind district as a JJP candidate.
The JJP won ten seats in 2019 assembly polls and formed the government with BJP. The BJP-JJP alliance however broke in the run up to 2024 assembly election.
Anurag Dhanda - Kalayat
Anurag Dhanda is contesting from Kalayat seat as AAP candidate. A former journalist, Anurag is senior vice president of AAP in Haryana.
In 2019, Kamlesh Dhanda of the BJP won the seat. The BJP has fielded Kamlesh, the former minister, this time too. The Congress has fielded Vikas Saharan, son of its Hisar MP Jai Prakash from this seat.
Worth mentioning, among other parties, in the fray, the JJP-ASP alliance is contesting all the 90 Assembly constituencies in Haryana, with the JJP fielding candidates in 70 seats and the ASP in 20.
