‘People, not parties, decide my fate’, says Ranjit Singh Chautala

Ranjit Singh Chautala, a former Cabinet Minister, is contesting as an Independent candidate from the Rania segment. In an interview with Anil Kakkar, he sheds light on his family’s political legacy and his strategy for the upcoming elections. Excerpts:

You are contesting as an Independent this time. How is the campaign going?

Last time, the Congress didn’t give me a ticket, and the people said neither the Congress nor the BJP would work here, only Ranjit Singh would. They helped me win by 20,000 votes, and the others lost their deposits. This time, the BJP gave me ticket for the Hisar Lok Sabha seat after seven surveys, where I was ranked number one. But three months later, for reasons unknown to me, the party didn’t give me a ticket for the Assembly elections. Once again, I am contesting as an Independent because the people asked me to.

You are mainly running against your grandson Arjun. What do you have to say?

I recently contested the Hisar Lok Sabha elections, where Arjun’s aunt and another relative, one from the INLD and the other from the JJP, ran against me. I got five lakh votes, while neither of them even got 22,000 votes. Using that same ratio, we can split the votes now. INLD will get about 3,000 votes here.

All eyes are on this seat. Don’t you think you and especially the Chautala family have a lot at stake here?

Every political family has a career, and in ours, it is also about who comes out on top. The Congress and the BJP are both wondering where Chaudhary Devi Lal’s family stands. Chaudhary Devi Lal was a great leader. He had so much influence that from Chautala village, he could decide who would be the Prime Minister. The Chautala family plays a vital role in Haryana’s politics, and Haryana is a strong state whose influence reaches all of northern India.

The JJP is supporting you here, and you are supporting them in Dabwali, but Dushyant is now apologising to farmers for supporting the BJP. Won’t this hurt your chances?

Look, I am focused on my work. People in this area feel good when Chaudhary Devi Lal’s family comes together. Now that Ajay Chautala and I have united, 75 per cent of Chaudhary Devi Lal’s family is on one side. The one or two branches that are left outside will either join us or the people will cut them off.

The INLD is receiving support from the HLP. In the last election, HLP and INLD were against each other.

Chaudhary Devi Lal fought for farmers and labourers, and he was against big landlords. If his grandson goes to Gopal Kanda’s house, people don’t like it. If he joins BJP, it annoys people. This is why INLD is losing in Rania, Dabwali, and even Ellenabad.

If you win as an Independent, will you join the BJP or the Congress?

Last time when I won, they told me to join the BJP since the Congress didn’t give me a ticket. I won because of my supporters, and I joined the BJP on their suggestion. I will do whatever they tell me after I win.

Your opponents say that despite being a Cabinet Minister, you couldn’t develop Rania. What do you have to say about that?

Go to any village here and ask the people who brought the Ghaggar water to them. They will tell you it was me. There was no irrigation water here before, but now there is. Crops didn’t grow here before, but now it is a paddy-growing area, and the people are prosperous. Land prices have tripled.

What’s your prediction of the results?

It seems like the Congress will emerge as the single largest party. The BJP and Independents are in a close race, and both could get 15-20 seats.