Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: Key constituencies, big contests and candidates

Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: The key contesting parties in Haryana include BJP, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as well as the pre-poll alliance between Indian National Lok Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party (INLD-BSP) and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)-Azad Samaj Party (ASP).

Haryana Assembly Election 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hopes to buck anti-incumbency to retain power for a third consecutive term in Haryana and the Congress eyes a comeback after a decade-long hiatus as the high-octane poll campaigning for the October 5 assembly elections came to an end.  

Around 2,03,54,350 voters in the state will exercise their franchise in the 15th Haryana Assembly Elections, scheduled for October 5 from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. A total of 1,031 candidates are contesting in all 90 assembly constituencies, and 20,632 polling booths have been set up for voting. More than two crore voters, including 8,821 centurions, are eligible to exercise their franchise in Haryana.

The results for the Haryana Assembly elections will be declared along with those of Jammu and Kashmir on October 8 (Tuesday). 

Here is the list of key constituencies of Haryana- 

1. Ladwa

Key candidates contesting from Ladwa seat-

• Nayab Singh Saini (BJP)
• Mewa Singh (Congress)
• Joga Singh Umri (AAP)
• Vinod Kumar Sharma (JJP)
• Sapna Barshami (INLD)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded incumbent Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini from Ladwa seat who is all set to take on sitting MLA and Congress candidate Mewa Singh. The constituency was carved out in 2009, and no party has won it twice. The AAP has fielded Joga Singh from the seat. The constituency was carved out in 2009 and no party has got won it for a second consecutive term.

2. Adampur

Key candidates contesting from Adampur seat-

• Bhavya Bishnoi (BJP)
• Chander Prakash (Congress)
• Krishan Gangwa Parjapati (JJP)
• Randeep Choudaryvas (INLD)
• Bhupender Beniwal (AAP)

Bhajan Lal, who has been the Chief Minister of Haryana, has dominated Adampur, which falls in Hisar district. Currently, his grandson Bhavya Bishnoi is the Adampur MLA, a seat he won in the 2022 by-poll. Earlier, Bhajan Lal's younger son Kuldeep Bishnoi was the MLA, and notably, the Bhajan Lal family has held sway over this constituency since 1967. In the 2019 Assembly Elections, Kuldeep Bishnoi from Congress won the seat with a margin of 29,471 votes. The JJP is in an alliance with the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) in Haryana, while the INLD has tied up with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

3. Garhi Sampla-Kiloi

Key candidates contesting from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi seat-

• Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Congress)
• Manju Hooda (BJP)
• Sushila Devi Deshwal (JJP)
• Parveen Guskhani (AAP)
• Krishan (INLD)

Manju Hooda, wife of a gangster and daughter of a former senior cop, has been named as the candidate of BJP to challenge Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the Garhi Sampla-Kiloi constituency for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. She is the sitting chairperson of the Rohtak Zila Parishad.

4. Ambala Cantt

Key candidates contesting from Ambala Cantt seat-

• Anil Vij (BJP)
• Parvinder Pal Pari (Congress)
• Chitra Sarwara (Independent Candidate)
• Onkar Singh (INLD)
• Avtar Singh (JJP)
• Raj Kaur Gill (AAP) 

BJP veteran Anil Vij is seeking his seventh consecutive win as all eyes are on the high-profile contest in the Ambala Cantt constituency. Vij, who has served as state home minister during the Khattar government, has been a dominant figure in Ambala Cantt for decades. This time, however, he faces a serious challenge from Chitra Sarwara, a Congress rebel now running as an independent candidate. 

5. Rohtak 

Key candidates contesting from Rohtak seat-

• Manish Kumar Grover (BJP)
• Bharat Bhushan Batra (Congress)
• Bijender Hooda (AAP)
• Jitender Balhara (JJP)
• Dilour Mehra (INLD)

Bharat Bhushan Batra from Congress was the winning candidate from Rohtak in the 2019 Assembly elections, securing 50,437 votes while 47,702 votes were polled in favour of Manish Kumar Grover from BJP. In the 2014 Assembly election of Haryana, Manish Kumar Grover of BJP defeated Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Batra by 11,132 votes. Manish Grover clinched 57,718 votes while Bharat Batra got 46,586 votes.

6. Bhiwani 

Key candidates contesting from Bhiwani seat-

• Ghanshyam Saraf (BJP)
• Indu (AAP)
• Karambir Yadav (INLD)
• Om Prakash (CPIM)

A total of 18 candidates are contesting from the Bhiwani constituency in the 2024 Haryana Assembly election. In the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections, Ghanshyam Saraf of BJP won this seat by defeating Dr Shiv Shanker Bhardwaj of JNJP by a margin of 27,884 which was 21.42% of the total votes cast for the seat. In the 2014 elections, Ghanshyam Saraf won in this seat defeating Nirmala Saraf of INLD by a margin of 28,597 which was 21.92% of the total votes cast for the seat. 

7. Gurgaon 

Key candidates contesting from Gurgaon seat-

• Mohit Grover (Congress)
• Mukesh Sharma (BJP)
• Nishant Anand (AAP)

From the Gurgaon assembly constituency, the Congress has nominated Mohit Grover, a young Punjabi candidate with deep party roots, who narrowly lost the last polls as an independent candidate. The BJP has fielded Mukesh Sharma, while AAP has fielded Nishant Anand. In the 2019 Assembly elections, Sudhir Singla of the BJP won the polls, BJP candidate Umesh Aggarwal won the seat in 2014 polls and in 2009, Independent candidate Sukhbeer had won from the seat.

8.  Jagadhri

Key candidates contesting from Jagadhri seat-

• Kanwar Pal Gurjar (BJP)
• Akram Khan (Congress)
• Adarsh Pal Singh (AAP)
• Darshan Lal (BSP)

In 2019, BJP's Kanwar Pal Gurjar retained his seat after garnering 66,376 votes. He defeated Congress' Akram Khan by a margin of 16,373 votes. Khan polled 50,003 votes. In the 2014 elections, Kanwar Pal of Bharatiya Janata Party won the constituency and polled 74,203 votes. He defeated BSP's Akram Khan by a huge margin of 34,156  votes.

9. Ellenabad

Key candidates contesting from Ellenabad seat-

• Abhay Singh Chautala (INLD) 
• Amir Chand Talwara (BJP)
• Bharat Singh Beniwal (Congress)
• Vs Manish Arora (AAP)
• Anjani Ladha (JJP)

In Ellenabad, Sirsa district, senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala is seeking re-election. Despite a poor showing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Abhay has held this seat since 2010. The INLD recently formed an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which will contest 37 of the 90 seats. The alliance is banking on the Jat and Scheduled Caste votes, promising various incentives. BJP’s candidate is Amir Chand Mehta, a farmer and district president of Sirsa, while Congress has named Bharat Singh Beniwal, and AAP has chosen Manish Arora.

10. Gohana

Key candidates contesting from Gohana seat-

• Arvind Kumar Sharma (BJP)
• Kuldeep Malik (JJP)
• Jagbir Singh Malik (Congress)
• Shiv Kumar Rangeela (AAP)

In the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections, Jagbir Singh Malik of Congress won this seat by defeating Raj Kumar Saini of LTSP by a margin of 4,152 which was 3.51% of the total votes cast for the seat. Congress had a vote share of 33.39% in 2019 in this seat. In the 2014 polls, Jagbir Malik of Congress won this seat by defeating Dr Krishan Chander Banger of INLD by a margin of 3,228 which was 2.76% of the total votes cast for the seat. 

Here is the list of 'key contests' of Haryana-

1. Tosham 

Key candidates contesting from Tosham seat-

• Shruti Choudhry (BJP)
• Anirudh Choudhry (Congress)
• Rajesh Bhardwaj (JJP)
• Daljeet Singh (AAP)

48-year-old Anirudh Chaudhary, the son of former BCCI president Ranbir Mahendra and the grandson of four-time Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal, is facing a tough battle. His cousin, Shruti Choudhry, also 48, the daughter of Bansi Lal’s younger son Surender Singh, is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, making the fight for Tosham a family affair. Tosham has long been a stronghold for the Bansi Lal family, with Bansi Lal himself winning six elections from the constituency. Surender Singh and his wife, Kiran Choudhry, have also represented the seat multiple times. In 2019, Kiran Choudhry won by a margin of around 18,059 votes against Parmar, who was then a BJP candidate.

2. Julana

Key candidates contesting from Julana seat-

• Vinesh Phogat (Congress)
• Kavita Rani (AAP)
• Yogesh Kumar (BJP)
• Surender Lather (INLD)
• Amarjeet Dhanda (JJP)

Vinesh Phogat’s opponents, a mix of debutants and veterans, include Surendra Lather, a former excise and taxation commissioner, who is fighting on the Indian National Lok Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party ticket. The AAP has fielded Kavita Dalal, a WWE wrestler, and the BJP’s candidate is Captain Yogesh Kumar Bairagi, an ex-fauji and the party’s youth leader. Bairagi, belonging to the backward class, is the only non-Jat candidate from Julana that has always sent a Jat to the State Assembly.

3. Kaithal

Key candidates contesting from Kaithal seat-

• Aditya Surjewala (Congress)
• Leela Ram Gurjar (BJP)
• Satbir Goyal (AAP)

In Kaithal, the Congress has fielded Aditya Surjewala, the son of prominent party MP Randeep Surjewala. Aditya’s father is a key figure in the party and was a two-time MLA from this constituency. In 2019, BJP’s Leela Ram won Kaithal by a narrow margin against Randeep Singh Surjewala. With this seat being a family stronghold, Aditya’s campaign will be closely watched. AAP has fielded Satbir Goyal and BJP has name Leela Ram Gurjar against Congress’ Aditya.

4. Panchkula

Key candidates contesting from Panchkula seat-

• Gian Chand Gupta (BJP)
• Chander Mohan (Congress)
• Dr Kshitij Choudhary (INLD)
• Sushil Garg (JJP) 
• Prem Garg (AAP)

Gian Chand Gupta from BJP was the winning candidate from Panchkula in the 2019 Assembly elections, securing 61,537 votes while 55,904 votes were polled in favour of Chander Mohan from Congress. In the 2014 elections, Gian Chand Gupta of BJP defeated INLD candidate Kul Bhushan Goyal by 44,602 votes. Gupta clinched 69,916 votes while Kul Bhushan got 25,314 votes.

5. Sirsa

Key candidates contesting from Sirsa seat-

• Gopal Goyal Kanda (HLP)
• Gokul Setia (Congress)
• Pawan Sherpura (JJP)
• Sham Sunder Mehta (AAP)

In the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections, Gopal Kanda of HLP won this seat by defeating Gokul Setia of Congress by a margin of 602 votes which was 0.42% of the total votes cast for the seat. HLP had a vote share of 31.65% in 2019 in this seat. In the 2014 elections, Makhan Lal Singla of INLD won this seat by defeating Gopal Kanda of HLP by a margin of 2,938 which was 2.04% of the total votes cast for the seat

6. Uchana Kalan

Key candidates contesting from Uchana Kalan seat-

• Dushyant Chautala (JJP)
• Devender Chatarbhuj Attri (BJP)
• Brijendra Singh (Congress)
• Vinod Pal Singh Dulganch (INLD)

In the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections, Dushyant Chautala of JJP won this seat by defeating Prem Lata of BJP by a margin of 47,452 which was 29.95% of the total votes cast for the seat. JJP had a vote share of 58.39% in 2019 in this seat. In the 2014 elections, Prem Lata of BJP won this seat by defeating Dushyant Chautala by a margin of 7,480 which was 4.61% of the total votes cast for the seat. BJP had a vote share of 49.14% in 2014 in this seat.

7. Badli

Key candidates contesting from Badli seat-

• Om Prakash Dhankar (BJP)
• Kuldeep Vats (Congress)
• Krishan Kumar (JJP)
• Harpal Singh (AAP)

In the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections, Kuldeep Vats of Congress won this seat by defeating Om Prakash Dhankhar of BJP by a margin of 11,245 which was 09.29% of the total votes cast for the seat. Congress had a vote share of 37.54% in 2019 in this seat. In the 2014 polls, OP Dhankar of BJP won this seat by defeating Kuldeep Vats of Congress by a margin of 9,266 which was 8.13% of the total votes cast for the seat. BJP had a vote share of 36.47% in 2014 in this seat.

8. Rania 

Key candidates contesting from Rania seat-

• Sheeshpal Kamboj (BJP) 
• Ranjit Singh Chautala (Independent)
• Sarv Mitter (Congress)
• Arjun Chautala (INLD) 
• Harpinder Singh (AAP) 

In the 2019 Haryana Assembly Elections, Independent candidate Ranjit Singh won the seat with a margin of 19,431 votes. He was polled 53,825 votes with a vote share of 37.48%. He defeated HLP candidate Gobind Kanda, who got 34,394 votes (23.95%). In the 2014 polls, Indian National Lok Dal candidate Makhan Lal Singla won the seat. He was polled 46,573 votes with a vote share of 32.31%. HLP candidate Gopal Kanda got 43,635 (30.27%) and was the runner-up. Singla defeated Kanda by a margin of 4,315 votes.

9. Hisar

Key candidates contesting from Hisar seat-

• Dr Kamal Gupta (BJP)
• Ram Niwas Rara (Congress)
• Sanjay Satrodia (AAP)
• Ravinder Ravi Ahuja (JJP)
• Shyam Lal (INLD)

Dr Kamal Gupta from BJP was the winning candidate from Hisar seat in the Assembly elections of 2019. He secured 49,675 votes while 33,843 votes were polled in favour of Ram Niwas Rara from Congress. In the 2014 Assembly Elections, Dr Kamal Gupta of BJP was the winning candidate from Hisar Assembly constituency, securing 42,285 votes while 28,639 votes were polled in favour of Savitri Jindal of Congress. 

10. Nuh 

Key candidates contesting from Nuh seat-

• Aftab Ahmed (Congress)
• Tahir Hussain (INLD)
• Sanjay Singh (BJP)
• Birender (JJP)
• Rabia Kidwai (AAP)

In the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections, Aftab Ahmed of Congress won this seat by defeating Zakir Hussain of BJP by a margin of 4,038 which was 03.22% of the total votes cast for the seat. Congress had a vote share of 41.77% in 2019 in this seat. In the 2014 Haryana elections, Zakir Hussain of INLD won this seat by defeating Aftab Ahmed of Congress by a margin of 32,796 which was 26.73% of the total votes cast for the seat. INLD had a vote share of 52.35% in 2014 in this seat.