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Rania assembly election result: Arjun Chautala wins Rania seat, while father Abhay Chautala defeated in Ellenabad
INLD's Arjun Chautala has won the Rania seat against Congress' Sarv Mitter. He is the great grandson of former deputy prime minister Devi Lal.
Arjun Chautala, who contested Haryana polls from Rania on an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) ticket, was among the five candidates hoping to continue the legacy of India's former deputy prime minister Devi Lal. Arjun is Devi Lal's great-grandson. Also seen in action during the Haryana assembly elections will be Digvijay Singh Chautala and Aditya Devi Lal, great-grandson and grandson of Devi Lal respectively. According to Election Commission of India, Arjun Chautala won against Congress' Sarv Mitter by 4191 votes. Sunaina Chautala of INLD is contesting from Fatehabad. BJP's Dura Ram is leading in the constituency.(Also read: Election results: BJP comes back from behind to take lead in Haryana, show trends)
Arjun's political career
Arjun Chautala's entry into politics was inevitable, and he started as a member of the INLD party, founded by his father Abhay Singh Chautala. Arjun contested the 2005 Haryana Assembly elections from the Rori constituency but faced defeat.
This time around, the 57-year-old will be up against BJP's Sheeshpal Kamboj and Congress party candidate Sarv Mitter from Rania seat.
Confident of a win, Arjun Chautala after filing his nomination said, "I have full belief that people of Rania will give their blessings and make our party victorious."
Rania, located in Haryana's Sirsa district, lies along the upper banks of the Ghaggar River. Formerly part of the Ellenabad assembly constituency, Rania became a distinct assembly constituency in 2009. The town boasts a thriving grain market, serving as a vital hub for agricultural trade in the region.
Demographically, Rania's electoral landscape is characterized by a significant Scheduled Caste (SC) population, accounting for approximately 31.16% (56,114 voters) of the total electorate, according to the 2011 Census. In contrast, Scheduled Tribe (ST) voters are negligible. The constituency's rural-urban divide is pronounced, with 89.7% (161,535) of voters residing in rural areas and 10.3% (18,549) in urban areas.
In terms of voting patterns, Rania has consistently demonstrated high voter turnout. During the 2019 Assembly Election, voter turnout reached 79.74%, while the 2019 Lok Sabha elections saw a turnout of 78.89%. The total number of voters in Rania Assembly Constituency stood at 180,084 in the 2019 Assembly Election, served by 193 polling booths.
In the political landscape, Arjun Chautala faces a mammoth task of reviving INLD's fortunes which has taken a beating since his cousin Dushyant Chautala launched the Jan Nayak Janta Party (JJP).
Arjun was appointed as the INLD's national secretary, showcasing his growing stature within the party. However, internal family disputes led to a split, resulting in the formation of JJP in 2018.
Uphill task for JJP and INLD
The JJP and INLD are facing an uphill task as both outfits faced a rout in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The INLD, currently being led by former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, currently has just one member in the 90-member Haryana Assembly.
Voting in Haryana was held on October 5, while results will be declared on October 8. The stage is set for a thrilling electoral battle in Haryana, with multiple players vying for power.
While the Congress is the main challenger to the BJP in the assembly polls, the other outfits and the Aam Aadmi Party make it a multi-cornered contest.
The split in the Jat vote among parties like the INLD and the JJP may not work to the Congress' advantage.
In 2014, the BJP came to power in Haryana on its own. However, in the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP fell short of a clear majority, prompting an alliance with Dushyant Chautala's Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) to form the government.
This coalition came to an end in March with the transition from Manohar Lal Khattar to Anil Vij, and subsequently, to ML Saini, marking a significant shift in the state's political landscape.
