Will contest Haryana Assembly poll with or without BJP: Rao Inderjit Singh’s daughter Arti Rao

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram, May 31

Assured of a victory for her father in the Lok Sabha elections for the sixth time, 43-year-old Ahir scion Arti Rao, daughter of Rao Inderjit Singh, has declared that she will be contesting the Vidhan Sabha elections this year.

Arti, who has been seeking a ticket from Ahir-dominated Rewari since 2014, said her supporters did not want to wait anymore, and that she would contest whether or not the BJP granted her a ticket.

“My supporters insist that I should contest. I am not sure from which constituency of the Ahirwal belt, but will surely contest,” she said.

An international-level shooter like her father, Arti first sought a ticket in 2014 when Inderjit ended his association with the Congress. It was in 2017 that she took up politics, emerging as his political successor. She has been campaigning and handling party affairs for her father and is known to be a bridge between youth and women voters and 74-year-old Inderjit Singh.

At the peak of his popularity in 2019, Inderjit was keen for a ticket for his daughter. But the party issued a ‘no-family’ diktat for ticket distribution. The ticket was given to another Inderjit supporter, Sunil Musepur.

This left former BJP MLA from Rewari Randhir Kapriwas, who was also in line for a ticket, agitated. The infighting cost the BJP the seat. This led to resentment among Inderjit’s supporters.

However, things may not be easy owing to the fallout between former CM ML Khattar and Inderjit, who was not involved in the reconstitution of the state government.

There was speculation when Khattar welcomed Kapriwas back into the party fold in February. He had been suspended for revolting against the party’s Rewari candidate in 2019.