Poll saw contests within family to claim political legacy

The Assembly elections in Haryana witnessed quite a few contests within political dynasties which were apparent fights to claim the legacy by the next generation. In the contest between first cousins — granddaughter and grandson of former Chief Minister Bansi Lal — in Tosham, Shruti Choudhry emerged victorious by 14,257 votes over Anirudh Chaudhry (son of Ranbir Mahendra, elder son of Bansi Lal).

Shruti took the field as BJP candidate, while Anirudh was a Congress nominee. While Shruti’s mother Kiran Choudhry, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, took charge of the campaign, she got help from Bhiwani Mahendragarh MP Dharamvir Singh. Kiran had quit the Congress after a tussle with former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and alleged that Hooda was trying to destroy the legacy of former CM Bansi Lal.

Another family contest was witnessed in Rania Assembly segment in Sirsa district which saw a grandfather-grandson contest. Devi Lal’s great grandson Arjun Chautala made his Assembly debut as an INLD MLA as he defeated his step grandfather Ranjit Singh. Singh was a minister in the BJP government and joined the fray this time as an Independent. However, he got the third position as Arjun Chautala — grandson of Ranjit’s brother Om Prakash Chautala — won his maiden poll. Arjun won by 4,191 votes, defeating Congress’ Sarv Mitter Kamboj while grandfather Ranjit Singh was pushed to the third spot.

In Dabwali, which has been the stronghold of the Chautala family, another INLD candidate Aditya Devilal — grandson of Devi Lal defeated his nephew Digvijay Chautala of the JJP and another distant family member Amit Sihag of the Congress. Aditya is son of Devi Lal’s youngest son Jagdish Chautala while Digvijay is grandson of Jagdish’s elder brother, former CM Om Prakash Chautala.

Aditya had defeated Congress’s Amit Sihag by a margin of 610 votes. Digvijay, too, trailed to the third spot with a difference of 20,813 votes. It is the first victory for Aditya who was in the BJP, before shifting to the INLD just before the Assembly polls.

Among other leaders who are claimants of the political dynasties in Haryana, Bhajan Lal’s grandson Bhavya Bishnoi lost to Congress candidate Chander Prakash, which is the first-ever defeat of the Bishnoi family since 1968.

In Uchana Kalan Assembly segment in Jind district, Brijendra Singh, great grandson of pre-Independence era politician Chhotu Ram and son of Birender Singh, lost by a margin of 32 votes. In Ateli Assembly segment in Mahendergarh district, Rao Inderjit Singh’s daughter Arti Rao sailed through by a margin of 3,085 votes.