Congress candidate Varun Chaudhary, 44, dashed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s hopes for a third straight term in Ambala by winning the seat with a margin of 49,036 votes.
The saffron fold had bet on Banto Kataria, a lawyer, to carry forward the legacy of her late husband, three-time MP Rattan Lal Kataria, who died in 2023.
But Varun wrested the seat from the BJP by polling 6,63,657 votes, including 1,065 postal votes, translating into a vote share of 49.28%. Runner-up Banto managed 6,14,621 votes (45.64%), including 835 postal votes.
The victory was sweeter for Varun as he defeated Banto 25 years after his father, Phool Chand Mullana, a former Haryana Congress president, had lost to her husband, Rattan Lal Kataria, in the 1999 elections.
Comprising the Panchkula and Ambala districts, and part of Yamunanagar, Ambala parliamentary constituency is one of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana and is reserved for members of Scheduled Castes.
Having 19.96 lakh voters, Ambala had recorded a turnout of 67.34% on May 25. It includes nine assembly segments — Kalka, Panchkula, Naraingarh, Ambala Cantt, Ambala City, Mullana (SC), Sadhaura (SC), Jagadhri and Yamunanagar.
The BJP not only grappled with anti-incumbency, but also faced opposition from farmer outfits, which its leaders had brushed off as “sponsored,” even as the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU, Charuni) threw its weight behind the Congress candidate in Ambala.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP not only grappled with anti-incumbency, but also faced opposition from farmer outfits, which its leaders had brushed off as “sponsored,” even as the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU, Charuni) threw its weight behind the Congress candidate in Ambala.
{{/usCountry}}BJP lost even in Haryana CM’s village
Banto could not secure a win even in Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini’s village Mirzapur, where 843 votes were cast. As many as 450 voters picked the Congress, while 364 voted for the BJP, giving Varun an edge of 86 votes over Banto.
Congress bags 10th win in 18 elections
Ambala has traditionally witnessed a direct contest between the Congress and the BJP or Jana Sangh since 1967.
Since 1952, when Lok Sabha elections were first held in the constituency, the Congress has now emerged victorious 10 out of 18 times, the BJP has represented the seat four times, the Janta Party twice, and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the Bahujan Samaj Party once each. Rattan Lal Kataria remained MP thrice, while Kumari Selja was elected MP twice.
‘I will be Ambala’s voice’
What led to your victory?
Every section of society was suffering and voice of every section was suppressed. This election was a fight to save the Constitution and to give voice to the voiceless. The industry, farmers and even youth were suppressed. The BJP has ignored every section and this is win of the public. The people had got fed up with ‘jumlebaazi’.
To whom do you credit you success?
It is verdict of the public. From day one I had been saying that every resident of Ambala constituency is contesting the elections against dictatorship and I am just walking along with them. The public has given me a big responsibility.
What will be your priorities?
Ambala for has been ignored for long. The constituency’s issues were not taken up, but this will change now. I will be Ambala’s voice.