Legacy leaders back in spotlight

Legacy leaders are back in the public eye, vying for political space with rallies and programmes as the festival season begins. Each is attempting to prove strength, rebuild connect and consolidate their bases.

Former BJP MLA Bhavya Bishnoi, grandson of late CM Bhajan Lal, today organised a “Janhit Diwas” programme in Hisar’s Adampur to celebrate his father, former MP Kuldeep Bishnoi's birthday. The programme turned into a rally of sorts with a large number of people flocking to the venue, a social media post by Bhavya maintained.

The Bishnois had faced a major setback when Bhavya lost the family bastion of Adampur to first-time Congress candidate Chander Prakash, ending their 56-year hold. Having kept a low profile since then, the family is now seen to be reaching out to voters in an effort to reclaim ground.

At the same time, INLD chief Abhay Singh Chautala is preparing for a show of strength with the “Samman Rally” in Rohtak on September 25. The event, organised annually to commemorate the birth anniversary of his grandfather and former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, is this year being billed as a bid to woo back Jat voters who shifted to the Congress after the INLD split. "Chaudhry Devi Lal did not belong to Sirsa alone which is why his birth anniversary is organised in a new district every year. This time, we chose Rohtak because he represented the seat in Parliament and became the Chief Minister as MLA from Rohtak," Abhay said.

The rift between brothers Ajay and Abhay, which led to the formation of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), had weakened their traditional base.

Meanwhile, former Hisar MP Brijendra Singh, son of veteran Congress leader Birender Singh and great grandson of Sir Chhotu Ram, is set to launch a “Sadbhav Yatra” on October 5. Recently appointed vice-chairman of the Congress foreign affairs department, Brijendra narrowly lost the Assembly election from his family seat of Uchana Kalan.

“My yatra is inspired by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and aims at building brotherhood among the 36 communities. The BJP is trying to tear apart the state’s social fabric. Through this yatra, we want to build a united front of all communities in the state,” he told ‘The Tribune’.

This will be Brijendra’s first major pan-Haryana programme since he quit the BJP and returned to the Congress fold ahead of last year’s parliamentary elections.

As these leaders with strong political legacies re-enter the field, the goal is clear — to demonstrate relevance, reconnect with the people and re-establish a larger footprint in Haryana’s politics.