Savitri Jindal, India’s wealthiest woman and chairperson emeritus of the Jindal Group, has entered the political arena in Haryana’s Hisar constituency as an independent candidate. Despite her ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and her son, Naveen Jindal, being a BJP Member of Parliament, Savitri Jindal chose to run independently after not securing a party ticket. She is currently leading over her main rival, BJP leader and sitting MLA Kamal Gupta, as per the latest trends.
Jindal has a clear mission: to represent the “voice of the people of Hisar” in the Haryana Legislative Assembly. She made this move after public support urged her to contest, stating that her constituents are like family to her. “People of Hisar are my family, and it is they who wanted me to contest,” Jindal told PTI after filing her nomination.
Savitri Jindal: A Powerful Independent Voice for Hisar
With a net worth of $36.3 billion, Savitri Jindal is not only the fifth-richest Indian but also the wealthiest woman in the country. Her fortune, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index released on September 28, comes from the diverse Jindal Group, which operates in steel production, power generation, mining, and port management.
Savitri Jindal took over the reins of the family conglomerate after her husband, Om Prakash Jindal, passed away in a helicopter crash in 2005. Under her leadership, the company has grown immensely, and her rise to the top of the business world has made her an inspiring figure for women entrepreneurs across the globe. She has also been honored with numerous awards, including the prestigious Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award.
Politically, Jindal is no stranger to Hisar. She has already represented the constituency twice as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), first in 2005 and again in 2009, both times as a Congress candidate. She even served as a minister in Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s government. In March, however, she switched allegiances to the BJP, aligning herself with the party her son supports.
Despite her ties to the BJP, Jindal opted to run independently after the party chose not to give her a ticket for the 2024 elections. “I have pledged to serve Hisar for its development and transformation. The people of Hisar are my family, and Om Prakash Jindal ji had established my relationship with this family,” she said. “The Jindal family has always served Hisar. I am fully dedicated to living up to people’s expectations and maintaining their trust.”
Kamal Gupta: BJP’s Incumbent and Jindal’s Main Rival
Savitri Jindal faces a tough battle against BJP’s Kamal Gupta, who has held the Hisar assembly seat since 2014. A medical professional by training, Gupta holds MBBS and MS degrees and has been actively involved in Haryana’s political landscape. Currently serving as the Minister of Urban Development and Housing in the Haryana government, Gupta has held his seat through two consecutive terms, in 2014 and 2019.
While Gupta brings extensive political experience and development work to the table, Jindal’s prominence and her family’s legacy in Hisar make this a highly competitive election. As trends continue to emerge, the outcome remains uncertain, though Jindal’s early lead signals a potentially tight race.
Hisar Constituency: A Political Powerhouse in Haryana
Hisar is not just another constituency; it holds considerable political significance in Haryana. The assembly constituency is part of the larger Hisar Lok Sabha seat, a region with a rich political history dating back to its foundation in 1354 by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. The region, known as Hisar-e-Firoza during the Tughlaq dynasty, has since become a major urban and industrial hub in modern Haryana.
Politically, Hisar has been dominated by powerful families such as the Bhajan Lal and Devi Lal clans for decades, with the Congress holding the seat for nearly 30 years until 2019. The BJP broke this dominance by securing a historic victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, marking a significant political shift.
The current assembly election is crucial for both parties as they vie for control of the Hisar constituency. Savitri Jindal’s independent run, despite her recent ties with the BJP, has added complexity to this already fierce battle.
Voting and Election Results
Voting for all 90 assembly seats in Haryana, including Hisar, took place on October 5, with results scheduled to be declared on October 8. With Savitri Jindal and Kamal Gupta emerging as the key contenders in Hisar, this election will be closely watched to see if Jindal’s independent campaign can oust the incumbent BJP, or if Gupta will retain his hold on the seat.
As the election results approach, the people of Hisar are eager to see who will represent their voice in the Vidhan Sabha, with Savitri Jindal pledging to continue her family’s legacy of service and development for the region.
