E-Paper
Haryana Assembly Polls: Ravinder Kumar, the Independent MLA from Samalkha
Ravinder Kumar, the Independent MLA from Haryana’s Samalkha assembly seat, says he would contest the next election on the basis of his work.
Ravinder Kumar, the MLA from Haryana’s Samalkha assembly constituency, was a farmer before he contested the last assembly election as an independent candidate.
Belonging to Machhrouli village of Panipat district, 46-year-old Kumar, who recently joined BJP, not only sailed through the Modi wave but also defeated Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhokar in 2014.
Educational qualification: Matriculation
Assets declared in 2014: ₹31.7 crore
Movable: Rs1.3 crore
Immovable: ₹30.4 crore
Constituency primer
Samalkha, a small town in Panipat district, located on the Haryana-Uttar Pradesh border is dominated by Jats, Baniya and Gurjar communities. Famous for foundries and iron industries, Samalkha falls under Karnal Lok Sabha constituency. Never a bastion of a particular political party, this constituency has been represented by almost all parties, even independent candidates.
Electoral history:
2014: Ravinder, an independent candidate, defeated Dharam Singh Chhokar of Congress by 20,373.
2009: Dharam Singh of HJCBL defeated Congress’s Sanjay Chhokar by 13,451 votes.
2005: Bharat Singh of Congress defeated Kartar Singh of INLD by 23,765 votes.
How he performed:
Known for his witty and earthy Haryanvi, the first-time MLA Ravinder says despite him being an independent MLA, the BJP focused on the development of his constituency without any biases. A ₹100 crore Yamuna bridge in Atta village, completion of 100-bed hospital, roads, community centres and a railway overbridge were among his major achievements, besides constructions of streets and drains in villages. However, of 58 announcements made by the chief minister, only 21 have been commissioned.
MLA Quote
“I have worked as per the expectations of the people and even the BJP government extended all support for the development of Samalkha. I would contest the next election on the basis of my work.”
By the way
Before joining politics, Ravinder Kumar was into poultry business.
