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Mothers turn campaigners and strategists for their children

In the past, contesting elections was a thorough party affair.

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Deepender Deswal in Hisar

In the past, contesting elections was a thorough party affair. Prominent party leaders, workers and supporters would campaign and seek votes for their candidates. With politics turning into a family affair over the years, it’s the family of the contestant that’s at the forefront of the campaign now. And as youngsters from the political families, fresh out of schools and colleges, take a plunge in electoral politics, the mothers of these baby-faced politicians have taken it upon themselves to ensure smooth sailing for them.

Women of political families have campaigned in the past as well — they were expected to put in a symbolic appearance. In this parliamentary election, however, they have plunged headlong into it, and many of them are the star campaigners for their children testing political waters.

At least five candidates — Bhavya Bishnoi of the Congress, Brijendra Singh of the BJP and sitting MP Dushyant Chautala of Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), who are pitted in a triangular contest at the Hisar Lok Sabha seat, three-time MP Deepender Singh Hooda in Rohtak and former MP Shruti Choudhry in Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha seat — have their mothers as star their campaigners and key strategists.

Experienced politicians 

Incidentally, Bhavya’s mother Renuka Bishnoi, Brijendra’s mother Prem Lata and Dushyant’s mother Naina Chautala are the first-time MLAs and hence have some political experience. While Renuka is a Congress MLA from the Hansi Assembly segment in Hisar, Naina is an MLA from the Dabwali segment in Sirsa district, and Prem Lata represents the Uchana segment of Jind district as a BJP candidate. Deepender’s mother Asha Hooda and Shruti’s mother Kiran Choudhry, too, are seasoned politicians. While Kiran is an MLA from Tosham, Asha has campaigned for her son in the past as well.

The political observers maintain that women have never been vocal campaigners for their family members in the past. “Earlier, family members of the candidates used to campaign in a limited circle. Former Chief Minister Bansi Lal’s wife Vidya Devi never campaigned for her husband or her sons Surender Singh and Ranbir Mahendra,” said Rishi Saini, a political observer who has been associated with Devi Lal for decades as a political activist. “Neither did former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal’s wife Jasma Devi. Although she had contested and won the Assembly election once, she never campaigned, even her own election was managed by others. Similarly, former Chief Minister Devi Lal and his son Om Prakash Chautala had their campaigns managed by an army of dedicated workers”, said Saini.

Women on the move 

As the dynastic politics gets stronger in Haryana, women members of the established political families have started playing an active role in electoral politics. Naina Chautala, Renuka Bishnoi and Prem Lata entered the poll fray in 2014 Assembly election. Asha Hooda (former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s wife) had been campaigning for her son since he entered politics in 2005. Naina Chautala, in fact, is the founder member of newly floated Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), following a rift in the Chautala family. Both her sons Dushyant (Hisar) and Digvijay (Sonepat) are contesting and she’s leaving no stone unturned to ensure their victory. 

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