Hisar: It was an election campaign with the trappings of a bruncheon. Saree-clad women gathered at a banquet hall in Suncity mall in Haryana’s Hisar, clicking selfies and admiring each other’s hair dos, while clutching on to their Michael Kors and Gucci handbags.
The one thing common among them: a pink stole around their necks.
On the stage, a woman with a bob cut thrust her fist in the air and roared, “Ek Naari, sab pe bhari (one woman, stronger than all the rest).” Silence swept across the room and all eyes turned to the entrance.
Just then, a woman in a pastel blue saree, her head covered with a dupatta, entered the hall. The crowd erupted into chants of “Savitri Jindal zindabad!” Her smile widened as she strode toward the stage, those she passed taken in by her aura.
Grabbing the mic, the 74-year-old opened with, “I’m the only woman among 21 candidates for Hisar assembly. Every woman here must exercise naari shakti on 5 October and vote for me.”
“This won’t just be my personal victory; it will be a triumph for naari shakti in Hisar,” she added. Her call to arms followed by applause and cheers as necks adorned with pink stoles with her photo on them swayed in unison.
Holding up her party symbol, a torch, she urged everyone to vote and left the hall. This is how chairperson emeritus of the Jindal Group and former Haryana minister Savitri Jindal, India’s richest woman, kicked off her campaign Monday.
Jindal is contesting as an Independent from Hisar seat. And this isn’t her first run. The wife of industrialist and former state power minister Om Prakash Jindal, who died in a chopper crash in 2005, she laid claim to her husband’s political legacy, and represented Hisar in the assembly from 2005 till 2009 as a Congress MLA and minister in the Hooda government.
Now, she finds herself in the fray as an Independent—not by choice; but because she was unable to secure a ticket from the BJP which she joined in March, days after her son and former Congress legislator Naveen Jindal too made the switch.
He won the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat for the BJP.
“I am contesting because the people of Hisar wanted me to contest. So, I filed a nomination on the last day, 12 September. I don’t go around asking for tickets. One who has to give a ticket, will give,” Savitri Jindal told ThePrint, her supporters clapping in unison at her response.
Jindal is up against two-time incumbent BJP MLA Kamal Gupta and Ram Niwas Rara of the Congress. Gupta first won Hisar seat in 2014 and retained it in 2019 by defeating Rara by a margin of 15,832 votes. The victory margin was slightly higher than in 2014 when Gupta won the seat for BJP by trouncing the then-sitting MLA Jindal by a margin of 13,646 votes.
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‘She isn’t here for money or fame’
As one enters Hisar, a large blue sign affixed to a pole reads “O.P. Jindal Marg.” Just a few kilometres ahead, there’s Jindal Villa, a Jindal Hospital, and a factory—each signifying the family’s clout in Hisar.
Amid palatial bungalows in the plush Sector 15-16, a crowd gathered under a pink tent. With a poster of O.P Jindal on the stage alongside a torch, supporters gave reasons on why Hisar should vote for ‘Mata ji’.
“She has money, fame and everything else. She has not come for those things like other politicians. She is contesting because she only wants to serve the people of Hisar,” said one. Many nodded their heads in agreement. Then came Jindal. Before she began with her speech, the septuagenarian apologised for being late and urged people to “keep pressing the button next to the torch symbol for five seconds to ensure their vote is cast.”
While she may not openly address being denied a ticket by the BJP, Savitri Jindal’s supporters are not shy to point out the betrayal.
“BJP should not have done this. Jindal family is the one that has made Hisar famous and it was not right of the BJP to deny a ticket to a woman who genuinely wants Hisar to shine, BJP has landed in the wrong,” said a man in his 50s.
To her followers, Savitri Jindal is not the richest woman in India. She is their “Mata ji”. It is not uncommon to see her supporters touching her feet and seeking her blessings.
Savitri Jindal & her ‘Hisar family’
Hisar, which is a combination of urban and rural pockets, with planned sectors, malls and eateries alongside villages and slums. This is why as Jindal presses on with her campaign, the socio-economic realities of her audience change with each passing kilometre.
From banquet halls to slums, Jindal’s political experience has taught her how to navigate each gathering. As she enters Valmiki Basti, a dozen men on bikes, waving pink flags, lead the way, singing, “Savitri aa ri se, Jum ke khushi laa ri se (Savitri is coming, she is bringing happiness with her).”
As she enters the big veranda of a house where a gathering has been organised for her, Jindal is showered with marigold flowers. She takes a seat and adjusts her dupatta. The crowd begins to sing praises for her husband, known as “Bau ji”.
In her speeches, Savitri Jindal doesn’t attack the Opposition or praise the incumbent. Her message is short, and crisp: “Vote for me. I will bring change and ensure your demands are fulfilled.”
Jindal said she doesn’t like to bicker and avoids controversies. “I’ve come here to work. People will vote for me because they know I want to work.”
But supporters believe she is keeping her options open. She will have to lend support to whoever among the BJP and the Congress manages to get a majority, simply to ensure she gets the government support she needs to fulfill promises made to voters.
Asked if her son and BJP MP Naveen Jindal will campaign for her, she said that he is a part of a party and “should abide by the rules”.
On problems faced by Haryana’s voters, she said unemployment and the stray cattle menace are at the top of her list. Unemployment is one the key issues the Congress has been raising in this election. However, Jindal is non-committal on who she will support once results are declared. Her answer to nearly every question is: “my Hisar family.”
After a long day on the campaign trail, Jindal sat down at a supporter’s home to break her fast. Surrounded by people, she coyly chewed on a kiwi, avoiding constant glares.
“Look at her. She is like a goddess. So soft spoken, taking care of her husband’s business after his death and wanting to make this city better. Why should we not vote for her,” said one devoted supporter.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
