The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana is marching towards forming the government for the third consecutive term. In a closely watched contest in the 90-seat assembly, BJP is leading in 50 seats, but all eyes were on the Hisar seat as India's richest woman, Savitri Jindal, made her mark as an independent candidate. She has now clinched victory from this seat.
Savitri Jindal, mother of BJP MP from Kurukshetra, Naveen Jindal, emerged victorious against her closest rival, Congress candidate Ram Niwas Rana, by 18,941 votes. She garnered 49,231 votes, whereas the Congress candidate secured 30,290. Meanwhile, BJP's candidate and former legislator Kamal Gupta finished third with 17,385 votes.
Notably, Forbes India recognized Savitri Jindal as the richest woman in the country this year. At 75, Savitri Jindal is the Emeritus Chairperson of the OP Jindal Group. Following the demise of her husband OP Jindal in 2005, she has shouldered the responsibility of her husband's company. Presently, she stands at the top of the list of India's wealthiest women with a net worth of $39.5 billion.
Venture into Politics Post-Husband's Demise
Savitri Jindal entered politics in 2005 following the death of her husband. She contested and won from the Hisar seat on a Congress ticket. Her tenure in Hisar spanned until 2013, after having successfully secured the seat again in 2009.
The Demographics of Hisar
Hisar houses a diverse voter base with 31,000 Punjabis, 24,000 Baniyas, 17,000 Sainis, 16,000 Jats, and 11,000 Brahmins. Out of 17 elections here, the seat has been held by the Vaishya caste 14 times, Punjabis twice, and once by the Saini caste. Vaishya voters play a significant role in Hisar, with total voters including 87,243 men and 77,782 women.
BJP Poised for a Third Term in the State
Haryana witnessed voting on 5th October across its 90 assembly seats. The battle this time was primarily between the Congress and BJP. With the BJP having ruled for ten years, it has once again shown strong performance in this assembly election. The party leads in 49 seats, with Congress trailing at 36 seats. Meanwhile, the Indian National Lok Dal is ahead in 2 seats, and independents in three.
