Mahipal Dhanda emerges strong Jat face with third consecutive victory

Although people of the Jat community were openly favouring the Congress due to multiple reasons, BJP’s former minister and two-time MLA Mahipal Dhanda emerged as a strong Jat face in the GT road belt.

He is the only Jat community MLA in the nine Assembly segments of Panipat and Karnal district, who romped home in the elections. With this victory, Dhanda made a hat-trick and scripted history by becoming the first BJP leader in the constituency, who achieved this feat.

The Panipat (Rural) constituency came into existence in 2009 after delimitation. In 2009, an independent candidate Om Prakash Jain had won the seat, but in 2014, the BJP fielded Mahipal Dhanda from here and he won the MLA’s seat from here. In 2019, the BJP again gave ticket to Mahipal Dhanda from here and he won the election. After formation of the new government led by then Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, he became Minister of State for Panchayat six months ago.

In 2024 Assembly polls, the BJP again trusted him and he was again elected MLA from Panipat (Rural) seat with a margin of 50,208 votes, which is the highest margin in all the four constituencies – Panipat City, Panipat Rural, Israna and Samalkha — in the district.

Dhanda got 1,00,881 votes while his rival Congress’ Sachin Kundu had to satisfy with only 50,673 votes and the independent candidate and Congress rebel Vijay Jain got only 43,244 votes.

With an RSS background Mahipal Dhanda started leading in the constituency from first round of the counting of votes. He maintained his lead upto the last 20th round.

Political experts said with the third consecutive victory from the Panipat (Rural) segment, Mahipal Dhand emerged as a prominent Jat face not only in the Karnal Lok Sabha constituency, but he also in the GT road belt. Experts said being a prominent Jat face in the region, Dhanda’s name was in the list of first runners of ministers in the newly elected BJP government, which was going to take oath on October 17.

Won first election in 2014

The Panipat (Rural) constituency came into existence in 2009 after delimitation. In 2009, independent candidate Om Prakash Jain had won the seat, but in 2014, the BJP fielded Mahipal Dhanda from here and he won the MLA's seat from here. In 2019, the BJP again gave ticket to Mahipal Dhanda from here and he won the election. After formation of the new government led by then Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, he became Minister of State for Panchayat six months ago.