Rich history of political rivalries, family legacies in Sirsa’s Dabwali
Sirsa, August 23
The Dabwali Assembly constituency has a fascinating electoral history, marked by significant political figures and intense contests over the years. From 1967 to 2019, the seat has seen the dominance of two major families — the Chautalas and the Chauhans.
The Chautala family from the village of Chautala has produced five MLAs, with Mani Ram and his son Sita Ram serving a total of five terms. Mani Ram won three times from various parties, including the Janata Party, Samata Party and Lok Dal, while Sita Ram was elected twice consecutively from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).
The Chauhan family from Dabwali town has also left a significant mark on the constituency. Govardhan Das 
One of the most interesting stories from Dabwali’s electoral history dates back to 1977 when Mani Ram, then working as an Assistant Food and Supplies Officer in Fatehabad, was approached by lawyer Amar Singh on behalf of Chaudhary Devi Lal. Singh informed Mani Ram that Devi Lal had chosen him to contest the upcoming elections from Dabwali, which were just 10-15 days away.
Acting on this, Mani Ram resigned from his job and contested the election, winning against the sitting MLA Govardhan Das Chauhan. The election was held in the aftermath of the Emergency, and the public’s discontent with the Congress worked in Mani Ram’s favour. He secured 21,017 votes, while Chauhan got 13,032 votes.
Dabwali’s first MLA, Kesra Ram, from Keharwala village, became a prominent figure after Haryana was formed. As Irrigation Minister, Kesra Ram was known for his practical approach. In one incident, while inspecting water distribution in canals, he directly confronted the issue by stepping into the canal himself, demonstrating that the water level was too low to reach the tail-end areas. This act earned him widespread recognition. Over the years, Dabwali has seen numerous electoral battles. From Kesra Ram’s narrow victory in 1967 to the recent win by the Congress’s Amit Sihag in 2019, who defeated BJP’s Aditya Chautala by 15,647 votes, making the constituency a crucial political arena in Haryana.This rich history of political rivalry and family legacies makes Dabwali one of the most intriguing constituencies in the state.
Bastion of Chautala, Chauhan families
- The Chautala family from Chautala village gave five MLAs, with Mani Ram and his son Sita Ram serving a
total of five terms.
- Mani Ram won three times from various parties — Janata Party, Samata Party and Lok Dal tickets.
- Meanwhile, Sita Ram was elected twice from Indian National Lok Dal.
- The Chauhan family from Dabwali town has also left a significant mark on the constituency.
- Govardhan Das Chauhan, a Congress candidate, was elected twice, while his daughter, Santosh Chauhan Sarwan, won once from this seat.
