Savitri Jindal Wins Hisar as an Independent Candidate in Haryana Elections

In a significant development in the Haryana Assembly elections of 2024, Savitri Jindal, an independent candidate, has emerged victorious in the Hisar constituency. Jindal, recognized as India‘s wealthiest woman by Forbes India this year, secured her win with a margin of 19,000 votes over her competitors on Tuesday.

According to the data released after twelve rounds of counting, Savitri Jindal received a total of 49,231 votes. Her closest competitor, Ram Niwas Rara of the Indian National Congress, garnered 30,290 votes, while the Bharatiya Janata Party‘s (BJP) Kamal Gupta, the outgoing Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), was in third place with 17,385 votes. A small portion of the electorate, numbering about 420, opted for the NOTA (None Of The Above) option.

Savitri Jindal’s political journey in Hisar is extensive. She first represented Hisar in the Haryana Legislative Assembly in 2005 as a member of the Congress party and was re-elected in 2009. In 2013, she served as a minister in the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led government. Her decision to contest as an independent came after the BJP, which she and her son, Naveen Jindal, joined earlier this year, decided to field Kamal Gupta, instead of her, for the Hisar seat.

The election has been widely followed, partly because of Savitri Jindal’s status as India’s richest woman, with a reported net worth of USD 29.1 billion. Speaking to the press after her win, Jindal expressed her dedication to the development of Hisar, referring to its people as her family.

Jindal’s familial ties and history in the constituency played a crucial role in her campaign. Her late husband, Om Prakash Jindal, was a well-known industrialist who had a significant impact on the region. Additionally, her son Naveen Jindal, a sitting MP from Kurukshetra on a BJP ticket, called her campaign “a one-sided contest.”

In a message on the social media platform X, Jindal expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the residents of Hisar for their support. Her grandson, Parth Jindal, also conveyed pride in her achievement through a post on the same platform.

The electoral contest has been characterized by intense rivalry. Kamal Gupta, who served as a state minister for health, urban development, and aviation, was dethroned by Jindal after he topped her in the previous elections. Despite Jindal’s former political affiliation with Congress, the party’s candidate, Ram Niwas Rara, trailed significantly behind her in this election.