Struggling to retain legacy, Kuldeep Bishnoi sees future in BJP

Tribune News Service

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, August 3

Kuldeep Bishnoi, who claims to hold the political legacy of his late father Bhajan Lal, has been volatile in his political decision making thus far. His recent move has necessitated the fourth bypoll in the Adampur Assembly segment here.

Political experts say though his father, who was the longest serving CM of the state, had pan-Haryana following, Kuldeep is apparently struggling to retain the sway on his traditional vote bank.

Analysts say his support base in the state has shrunk with the rise of BJP. “Bhajan Lal and the BJP had almost the same vote bank in Haryana. The vote bank that Bishnoi claimed to have swayed over has adopted the BJP. Though the Bishnoi community is confined to Adampur and adjoining segments in Haryana, it has considerable presence in about 20 Assembly segments in Rajasthan,” said one of his aides, adding that he would campaign for the BJP in Rajasthan in next Assembly elections.

Interestingly, though all three “Lals of Haryana politics” (Bhajan Lal, Bansi Lal and Devi Lal) had tied up with the BJP at some stage in their political career, none of their political scions had ever joined the BJP. Bishnoi who claims legacy over Bhajan Lal’s politics will join the BJP tomorrow. Devi Lal’s son Ranjit Singh is a minister in the Haryana Government, but as an Independent, and his great grandson Dushyant Chautala is the Deputy CM as JJP leader.

Bishnoi started his political career with the Adampur byelection win after his father vacated the seat to contest the Lok Sabha election from Karnal in 1998. He won the “battle of scions” for the Bhiwani Lok Sabha seat in 2004 by defeating former CM Bansi Lal’s son Surender Singh who contested as Haryana Vikas Party nominee and Ajay Singh Chautala, son of the then sitting CM Om Prakash Chautala.

Things, however, started getting tough for him in the Congress when the party high command preferred to install Bhupinder Singh Hooda as CM after the party stormed to victory in the 2005 Assembly poll, instead of his father Bhajan Lal.

Bishnoi turned rebel and formed the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) in 2007. Though his party won six seats in the 2009 elections, four of them dumped him to join the Congress which helped BS Hooda become the CM for the second consecutive term.

He tried some political alliances, but the tie-ups didn’t last long. His worst political time came in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll when as an alliance partner with the BJP, the HJC lost both seats (Hisar and Sirsa). He himself suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the then INLD greenhorn Dushyant Chautala.

Bishnoi finally merged the HJC with the Congress in 2016. But his son Bhavya Bishnoi faced a massive defeat in 2019 from the Hisar Lok Sabha seat. He, however, retained their home turf Adampur in the Assembly poll in 2019.

Bishnoi, however, never shied away from projecting himself as a chief ministerial candidate while being in the Congress and also when he struck alliances with other parties.

His support base has shrunk: Analysts

• Though his father had pan-Haryana following, Kuldeep is apparently struggling to retain the sway on his traditional vote bank, analysts say
• His support base in the state has shrunk with the rise of BJP, they add
• He will be the first of the famous Lal troika’s scion to join the BJP

About The Author

Tribune News Service

The Tribune News Service brings you the latest news, analysis and insights from the region, India and around the world. Follow the Tribune News Service for a wide-ranging coverage of events as they unfold, with perspective and clarity.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.

#Hisar #kuldeep bishnoi