Key candidates in the 2019 Haryana Assembly Elections

The last decade has seen Haryana undergo a significant political transformation, with the Bharatiya Janata Party, only a minor player till 2009, become its most dominant party since 2014. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), on the other hand, has endured a reversal of fortunes, made worse by a schism within the party prior to the Lok Sabha elections that led to a split. The Indian National Congress, despite absorbing the Haryana Janhit Congress, was only able to increase its vote share modestly between the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 

With Haryana going to the polls on October 21, and surveys suggesting another strong showing by the BJP, we take a look at some of the key players in the upcoming election.

Manohar Lal Khattar, Karnal

Manohar Lal Khattar is the current Chief Minister of Haryana and has been a member of the BJP since 1994. Khattar assumed chief ministership in 2014 following the BJP’s win in the Haryana Legislative State Assembly. He represents the Karnal constituency and will be contesting from the same constituency in the upcoming election. 

Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Garhi Sampla-Kiloi

As the current leader of the Opposition in Haryana, Bhupinder Singh Hooda will be contesting from his home constituency of Garhi Sampla-Kiloi in Rohtak district. As a member of the Indian National Congress (INC), Hooda served two terms as the Chief Minister of Haryana between 2005 and 2014.  

Abhay Singh Chautala, Ellenabad

The grandson of ex-deputy prime minister Chaudhary Devi Lal, Abhay Singh Chautala was the former leader of opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in the 2014 Haryana Assembly elections. Following a split in the party in the December 2018 elections, Chautala is looking to contest from Ellenabad (previously known as Kharial) constituency in Haryana's Sirsa district.

Dushyant Chautala, Uchana Kalan

The nephew of Abhay Singh Chautala, Dushyant Chautala was expelled from the INLD in December 2018, along with his father Ajay, and brother Digvijay, following a bitter power struggle. Dushyant went on to form the Jannayak Janta Party and will contest the elections from the Uchana Kalan constituency. Dushyant will take on  BJP's sitting MLA Prem Lata who had defeated him once earlier in the 2014 polls by a margin of nearly 7,000 votes. Both candidates belong to the Jat community and the electoral battle between the two is expected to be a pitched one.

Kuldeep Bishnoi, Adampur

Following his expulsion from the Congress, Kuldeep Bishnoi went on to form the Haryana Janhit Congress with his father and former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal. In 2016, Bishnoi merged the HJC with the INC, having broken off an alliance with the BJP two years prior. He will contest the elections from the Adampur seat. 

Sonali Singh Phogat, Adampur

The BJP has fielded Sonali Singh Phogat in the Adampur constituency against the INC’s Kuldeep Bishnoi. Hailing from the Fatehabad district, Phogat is a prominent TV actress and has garnered a huge fan following on the social media platform, Tik Tok. She is also the national vice president of BJP’s Mahila Morcha. 

Randeep Surjewala, Kaithal

One of the official spokespersons for the INC, Randeep Surjewala also holds the honour of being the youngest Cabinet Minister in the Haryana Cabinet – a feat he achieved in 2005 under the Hooda-led state government. Surjewala is expected to contest the elections from the Kaithal constituency. 

Captain Abhimanyu, Narnaund

A member of the BJP, Captain Abhimanyu serves as the Minister of Finance in Manohar Lal Khattar’s cabinet. A decorated army officer, he joined the BJP in 1997, and in 2014, won the Narnaund (Hisar district) seat (in the Haryana Assembly elections. He is expected to contest from the same seat this time around. 

Anil Vij, Ambala Cant.

Another member of the Khattar Cabinet, Anil Vij is Haryana’s Minister of Health and Sports. Vij joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s youth wing as a teenager and contested in the 1990 by-election for the Ambala Cantonment seat, vacated by Sushma Swaraj. He will compete from the same constituency in the upcoming elections. 

Yogeshwar Dutt, Baroda

At just 36 years of age, Yogeshwar Dutt is among the youngest candidates to be fielded in the Haryana Legislative Assembly elections. Dutt is a former professional freestyle wrestler who came into prominence in 2012 when he won a bronze medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Having joined the BJP just last month, he will contest the elections from Baroda constituency in Gohana district of Haryana.