Arjun Chautala to take on granduncle in Rania
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 1
With the INLD fielding Arjun Chautala, son of senior party leader Abhay Chautala and grandson of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, as its candidate from Rania in Sirsa district, the Assembly segment is set to witness an electoral battle between two members of the Devi Lal clan.
Arjun is set to clash with his granduncle and Haryana Energy and Jails Minister Ranjit Singh, who is a brother of Om Prakash Chautala. Ranjit Singh, who joined the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha poll, has already declared that he would contest from Rania “with or without the BJP”.
Arjun’s name figured in the second list of seven candidates declared by the INLD today. With this, the INLD-BSP alliance has declared 14 candidates while all other parties, including the Congress and the BJP, are yet to declare their candidates.
Ranjit Singh, who won the Rania seat as an Independent candidate in the 2019 Assembly elections, resigned following his nomination as the Lok Sabha candidate from Hisar by the saffron party. In the Lok Sabha elections, which he lost to the Congress’ Jai Prakash, he had also locked horns with two Chautala bahus — Naina Chautala and Sunaina Chautala.
Sirsa district is considered the stronghold of the Chautala family and any clash between members of the Devi Lal clan evokes a lot of interest in Haryana politics.
Arjun had made his electoral debut in 2019 parliamentary poll from Kurukshstra and was placed fifth, getting 60,679 votes and losing his security deposit. The seat was won by current Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini by a huge margin.
Meanwhile, the other prominent candidates declared by the INLD included its state president Rampal Majra from Kalayat and Sher Singh Barshami from Ladwa. Chief Minister Saini is the potential BJP candidate from Ladwa.
Umed Lohan (Narnaund), Sheela Rani (Bahadurgarh), wife of slain INLD state chief Nafe Singh Rathi, Taiyab Hussain Bhimsika (Hathin) and Gurtej Singh Sukhchain (Kalanwali) are the other candidates declared by the party.
