“With 32 votes and 12 Independents, the closest battle in Haryana unfolded, ultimately leading to a victory for the BJP.”
The Uchana Kalan Assembly seat in Haryana’s Jind district has been a battleground for the Om Prakash Chautala and Birender Singh families since 1977. On Tuesday, the BJP's Devender Chatar Bhuj Atri secured the seat
The Uchana Kalan Assembly seat in Haryana’s Jind district has been a battleground for the Om Prakash Chautala and Birender Singh families since 1977. On Tuesday, the BJP’s Devender Chatar Bhuj Atri secured the seat with a razor-thin margin of just 32 votes, marking the closest contest in this year’s Haryana elections.
As has been the tradition in this prominent Jat-dominated constituency, candidates from both families vied for the seat once again. The competition intensified when former Deputy Chief Minister and Jannayak Janata Party leader Dushyant Chautala, grandson of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, entered the race.
Meanwhile, Brijendra Singh, son of former Union Minister Birender Singh, contested on a Congress ticket. Expectations were high for a tight race between the two political heirs, but the results were more surprising than anticipated. Dushyant finished in fifth place, garnering just 7,950 votes and losing his security deposit.
Ultimately, the contest narrowed down to Brijendra and Atri, with the final tally showing the BJP ahead by a mere 32 votes. Atri received 48,968 votes, while Brijendra followed closely with 48,936 votes. The BJP’s only previous win in this seat was in 2014 when Birender Singh’s wife, Prem Lata, was the candidate.
Several factors contributed to Brijendra’s defeat, with the presence of 12 Independent candidates playing a significant role. At least three Independents notably impacted the anti-BJP vote share, which could have benefited either Congress or the JJP.
Independent candidate Virender Ghogharian finished third with 31,456 votes, while another Independent, Vikas, placed fourth with 13,458 votes. A third Independent, Dilbag Sandil, received 7,373 votes and finished sixth, and Vinod Pal Singh Dulganch from the INLD secured seventh place with 2,653 votes.
In 2019, Dushyant received 92,504 votes, defeating BJP candidate Prem Lata by over 40,000 votes. Previously, in 2014, Prem Lata had defeated Dushyant, then an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) candidate, by 7,480 votes.
