CHANDIGARH: The upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana are marked by significant internal dissent, with rebel candidates posing challenges to BJP and Congress.
Haryana Assembly elections have taken an unexpected twist, with rebels and independent candidates posing a formidable challenge to the two major political heavyweights—the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress. Despite frantic last-minute efforts to manage dissident leaders, both parties now face an uphill battle against a wave of internal rebellion that threatens to alter the political landscape.
As over 50 prominent rebels, including 30 from Congress, remain defiant, the two parties find themselves navigating a fractured electoral battleground. The presence of these rebels is expected to disrupt the political calculus on around 20 seats significantly, forcing both, BJP and Congress to rethink their strategies in the face of this internal challenge.
Despite the discontent, Congress successfully managed to quell the rebellion in around 10 constituencies, convincing 12 dissidents to stay aligned. Likewise, BJP rebels in six constituencies withdrew their nominations after senior party leaders intervened.
One of the most high-profile figures in this election is Savitri Jindal, chairperson of the O.P. Jindal Group and India’s richest woman, who has broken away from BJP. At 74, Jindal has declared this will be her last election and has entered the race as an Independent in Hisar, a constituency of immense personal significance. Once a two-time MLA and minister in the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government, Jindal is now challenging Haryana’s sitting health minister, Kamal Gupta.
“This is my last election, and I want to complete the unfinished work for the people of Hisar,” Jindal said after filing her nomination.
Her candidacy has thrown a serious challenge to Kamal Gupta, as business tycoon Subhash Chandra has also extended his support to the Jindal family.
In Ganaur, another BJP candidate, Devender Kaushik, faces a stiff challenge from rebel leader Devender Kadyan, who is running as an independent. Kadyan’s intensive campaigning has further complicated BJP’s prospects in the constituency.
The rebels also include former power minister Ranjit Singh Chautala, who is contesting as an independent in Rania after being denied a BJP ticket. Chautala resigned as a cabinet minister, and has vowed to defeat his former party from outside the fold. This isn’t Chautala’s first act of rebellion—he successfully contested as an Independent in 2019 before lending his support to the BJP post-election.
In Gurgaon, former BJP Trade Cell convenor Naveen Goyal has rebelled against the party, running as an Independent after opposing the party’s decision to field an “outsider” for the constituency. His candidacy has deepened internal fissures within BJP. Additionally, in Safidon, BJP’s Brahmin leader Ram Kumar Gautam is facing opposition from party leader Bachan Singh Arya, who is contesting as an Independent after disagreeing with Gautam’s selection.
Other BJP rebels include Zile Ram Sharma from Assandh and Kalyan Chauhan from Sohna, both of whom are contesting independently and intensifying the party’s internal struggles.
Congress, meanwhile, is grappling with rebellion in key constituencies such as Karnal, Faridabad, Jind, Ambala, Jagadhari, and Bahadurgarh. Here, vote splits threaten to hand victories to third-party candidates or even BJP. High-profile Congress dissidents include Neetu Maan in Prithla, Sudheer Chaudhari in Pataudi, and Pradeep Gill in Jind, all of whom are standing against official party candidates, potentially fragmenting the voter base.
In Ambala Cantonment, Congress faces one of its most significant internal challenges. Chitra Sarwara, daughter of Congress veteran Nirmal Singh, is contesting as an Independent after being denied a party ticket. Sarwara is up against BJP stalwart Anil Vij, a six-time MLA and former home minister, along with Congress candidate Parvinder Singh Pari. Sarwara previously finished second in the 2019 Assembly polls, trailing only Vij, while the Congress candidate came in third.
Congress also faces major challenges in Jagadhari and Sadhaura. In Jagadhari, Congress leader Adarshpal Gurjar defected to AAP and is now contesting on an AAP ticket, posing a serious threat to Congress candidate Akram Khan. In Sadhaura, Brijpal Chappar has joined BSP and is contesting against sitting Congress MLA Renu Bala.
In an attempt to mitigate the damage, both parties have launched extensive efforts to woo back their rebels. Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda led Congress’s efforts to persuade dissidents, while BJP heavyweights, including Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and former chief minister Manohar Lal, had personally appealed to estranged leaders.
Political analysts suggest that the high number of rebel candidates could lead to unexpected outcomes in several constituencies. Vote splits caused by these candidates could allow third-party contenders or Independents to claim victory, potentially altering the electoral landscape.
As Haryana gears up for its single-phase election on October 5, both, BJP and Congress may find that internal dissent could play a decisive role in shaping the final results as Haryana has a history of electing Independents.