INDIA VOTES 2024: Political dynasties ruling the roost

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, March 24

The Lok Sabha elections reflect the prevalence of dynastic politics in the state for nearly seven decades. The prominent political families have also had their share of Lok Sabha representation as they have collectively been elected to the Lok Sabha 40 times since 1952. The prominent families include that of Hooda (Rohtak), Bhajan Lal (Hisar), Devi Lal (Sirsa), Bansi Lal (Bhiwani) and Rao Birender Singh (Mahendragarh and Gurugram).

Besides, the father-son duo of Birender Singh and Brijendra Singh, and OP Jindal and Naveen Jindal represented Hisar and Kurukshetra, respectively.

Three generations of Hooda and Bansi Lal families won the Lok Sabha seats in Rohtak and Bhiwani, respectively. Devi Lal’s family had represented four different seats, and every time they won from different Lok Sabha constituencies across three generations. Similarly, Bhajan Lal and his son Kuldeep Bishnoi won five times Lok Sabha poll, each time from a different parliamentary segment. His grandson Bhavya tried his luck from Hisar, but lost in 2019.

Ranbir Singh Hooda, who was a member of the Constituent Assembly, represented the Lok Sabha a record nine times in Haryana. While he won twice, his son Bhupinder won the Rohtak seat four times and his grandson Deepender won thrice.

How the clans fared

• Hooda: Ranbir Singh Hooda (Congress) became MP in 1952 and 1957. His son Bhupinder won from Rohtak in 1991, 1996, 1998 and 2004, and Bhupinder’s son Deepender won in 2005 (bypoll), 2009 and 2014
• Bansi Lal: He became MP from Bhiwani in 1980, 1984 and 1989. His son Surender Singh represented the seat in 1996 and 1998. In 2009, Bansi Lal’s granddaughter Shruti Choudhary won the seat
• Dalbir Singh: He won from Sirsa in 1967, 1971, 1980 and 1984. His daughter Kumari Selja became MP in 1991 and 1996. She won from Ambala seat in 2004 and 2009
• Rao Birender Singh: He became MP from Mahendragarh in 1980, 1984 and 1989. His son, Rao Inderjit Singh, won in 1998 and 2004. Rao has been MP from Gurugram (2009, 2014, 2019)
• Bhajan Lal: He won the Hisar seat in 2009. His son Kuldeep Bishnoi became MP in 2009 bypoll. Bhajan Lal won from Faridabad in 1989 and from Karnal in 1998. Bishnoi won Bhiwani seat in 2009
• Devi Lal: Former Deputy PM Devi Lal won from Sonepat in 1980. He was elected from Rohtak in 1989. His grandson Ajay Chautala won Bhiwani seat in 1999. Ajay’s son Dushyant won the Hisar seat in 2014
• Birender Singh: Birender Singh (Congress) won Hisar seat in 1977. His son Brijendra became MP in 2019 on BJP ticket
• Jindal: Om Prakash Jindal became MP in Kurukshetra in 1996. His son Naveen won in 2009