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'Hisar is calling me...': Can India's richest woman Savitri Jindal upset BJP's election plans in Haryana?

'Hisar is calling me...': Can India's richest woman Savitri Jindal upset BJP's election plans in Haryana?

Her son, Naveen Jindal, currently serves as the BJP Member of Parliament (MP) from Kurukshetra.

Business Today Desk
Business Today Desk
  • Updated Sep 12, 2024 3:13 PM IST
'Hisar is calling me...': Can India's richest woman Savitri Jindal upset BJP's election plans in Haryana?Savitri Jindal is no ordinary contender—she is the chairperson of the steel and power conglomerate O P Jindal Group and is widely recognized as India’s richest woman.

Just days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) confirmed its sitting MLA and minister, Kamal Gupta, as the candidate for the Hisar constituency in the upcoming October 5 Assembly elections, party veteran Savitri Jindal, aged 74, has filed her nomination from the same seat as an Independent candidate. The move marks a significant development in the political landscape of Haryana, as Savitri Jindal is no ordinary contender—she is the chairperson of the steel and power conglomerate O P Jindal Group and is widely recognized as India’s richest woman.

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Her son, Naveen Jindal, currently serves as the BJP Member of Parliament (MP) from Kurukshetra. Naveen had switched his political allegiance from the Congress to the BJP just before the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. On March 24, he formally joined the BJP, and the party promptly fielded him from the Kurukshetra seat, which he had won twice before under the Congress banner. Shortly after, Savitri Jindal followed suit and joined the BJP in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during a public event in Hisar.

However, recent developments have complicated Savitri Jindal’s association with the BJP. After being passed over for a party ticket, Jindal decided to contest the election independently. Despite her previous statements distancing herself from the party, she has clarified that she never officially joined the BJP. Her candidacy marks a return to the political arena, where she had served as a Congress legislator and minister in previous administrations.

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Savitri’s family has long held significant political influence in Hisar. Her late husband, Om Prakash Jindal, who founded the Jindal Group, won the Hisar Assembly seat three times (in 1991, 2000, and 2005) and held a ministerial post in the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government before his untimely death in a helicopter crash in 2005. After his death, Savitri entered politics, winning the 2005 by-election in Hisar and securing a position as a minister in the Hooda administration. She retained her seat in the 2009 elections but was defeated in 2014 and chose not to contest in 2019.

Despite her previous political losses, Savitri remains a key figure in Hisar politics. During the recent Lok Sabha elections, she campaigned for her son Naveen in Kurukshetra, and for the BJP candidate Ranjit Singh Chautala in Hisar. Many of her supporters expected her to receive the BJP ticket for the upcoming Assembly polls, but the party opted to back Kamal Gupta, its two-time MLA from Hisar and a minister in the Saini Cabinet. Disappointed by the decision, Savitri's supporters gathered at Jindal House in Hisar to urge her to run as an Independent.

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Addressing her supporters, Jindal explained her decision to enter the race: "Hisar, which is my family, is asking me to fight this election. I cannot say no. I have been with the public for the past 20 years to serve them, and this will be my last election." She further emphasized her long-standing commitment to Hisar, expressing a desire to complete "unfinished works" in the constituency.

When asked whether she had discussed her candidacy with her son, Naveen Jindal, she responded: "There has been no such conversation. But everyone knows that when I commit to something, I do not back out." Savitri also mentioned that she maintains good relations with Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the former Congress Chief Minister, who she credited with guiding her in her early political career, as reported by The Indian Express.

Savitri Jindal's entry into the race sets the stage for a high-stakes contest in Hisar. In the 2014 Assembly elections, she was defeated by Kamal Gupta when running as a Congress candidate. This time, the competition is further intensified with the Congress fielding Ram Niwas Rara, a relatively unknown figure, leaving the battle largely between Jindal and Gupta.

Beyond her political endeavors, Savitri Jindal remains a powerful force in the business world. As the head of the O P Jindal Group, she has consistently ranked among India's wealthiest individuals. In August 2024, Forbes India listed her as the country’s richest woman, valuing the Jindal Group at $39.5 billion. She also made headlines in 2023 when the Bloomberg Billionaires Index reported that her net worth growth had outpaced several of India’s top industrialists, a feat she attributes to the hard work and vision of her late husband, Om Prakash Jindal.

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As the political drama unfolds in Hisar, all eyes will be on how Savitri Jindal’s independent run shapes the election outcome and whether her storied family legacy can once again play a decisive role in Haryana’s political landscape.

Published on: Sep 12, 2024 3:13 PM IST
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