Estranged cousins Shruti Choudhry of the BJP and Anirudh Chaudhary of the Congress are set to compete for the family stronghold of Tosham. Meanwhile, Shashi Ranjan Parmar, a rebel from the BJP running as an Independent candidate, poses a potential disruption to the contest.
Cousins and grandchildren of the late Bansi Lal are currently embroiled in a fierce battle for control over the family stronghold of Tosham and the legacy of the former Haryana chief minister. This constituency has long been a bastion for the family, with Bansi Lal himself winning six elections from Tosham, alongside his younger son Surender Singh, who has been elected twice, and Surender’s wife, Kiran Choudhry, who has claimed victory four times.
In the upcoming Haryana elections on October 5, Shruti Choudhry, the 48-year-old daughter of Surender and Kiran, is representing the BJP. However, the race has intensified with the candidacy of Anirudh Chaudhary, also 48, the son of Bansi Lal’s elder son, Ranbir Mahendra. Adding to the drama, Shashi Ranjan Parmar, a 58-year-old BJP dissident running as an Independent, poses a significant threat to the established dynamics.
The rivalry between Ranbir Mahendra and Kiran has been marked by legal disputes over Bansi Lal’s estate since his passing in 2006. Meanwhile, Dharambir Singh, a BJP MP from Bhiwani-Mahendergarh and a former Congress leader who has previously challenged the Bansi Lal family, is now supporting Shruti as the official party candidate. Kiran secured her seat in 2019 as a Congress candidate, winning by a margin of 18,059 votes against Parmar.
The constituency’s demographic breakdown reveals that Jats make up approximately 33% of the population, followed by Brahmins at 10%, Rajputs at 7%, and various other communities, including Scheduled Castes at 24%. Nestled in the foothills of the Aravallis, Tosham features a unique landscape of sand dunes and hillocks, with local economies bolstered by stone mining in the Khanak and Dadam areas.
Addressing voters in Dinod village, Congress candidate Anirudh Chaudhary expresses pride in contesting from a constituency that holds deep familial significance.
Unemployment is a significant challenge in Tosham, according to local leaders. “This area suffers from a lack of water resources, both for irrigation and drinking. The rise in drug-related issues is alarming, and the increasing unemployment rates have only fueled drug abuse among the youth,” he explains.
He criticizes the BJP-led government’s Agnipath scheme, stating, “In the past, we often saw young people training physically to join the armed forces. However, since 2022, interest in becoming Agniveers has plummeted.”
He emphasizes that the upcoming election in Tosham should not be viewed merely as a family rivalry. “This is a contest between the Congress and the BJP candidates. It’s fundamentally an election driven by the people. The public is fed up with the BJP. Farmers are suffering and have turned against the party. Every community has faced challenges during the decade of BJP governance in Haryana,” Anirudh Chaudhary asserts.
When asked about his cousin Shruti and aunt Kiran Chaudhary’s campaign efforts, he states, “My focus is on the issues at hand and my connection with the voters. There’s a lot of misinformation being circulated about me, but it doesn’t concern me. Shruti is my sister, and Kiran ji is my aunt, whom I respect. I encourage people to acknowledge them but to cast their votes for me.”
‘Development is the only agenda’
While campaigning in Laxmanpur, a village with a strong Jat presence, Anirudh’s cousin and BJP candidate Shruti Choudhry expresses her desire to continue the development efforts initiated by her grandfather and mother, who previously held office in the constituency.
“During my tenure as the Lok Sabha MP for Bhiwani-Mahendergarh in 2009, significant funds from central schemes were allocated to improve water infrastructure in villages. My mother served as the public health engineering minister in Haryana at that time, which made a substantial difference,” she shares after engaging with local families.
The establishment of Chaudhary Bansi Lal University and the forthcoming medical college in Bhiwani are initiatives driven by the family, she asserts. “We are committed to advancing these efforts and maintaining our progress. Development is my sole focus,” she emphasizes.
When questioned about the competition with her cousin, she responds, “Anirudh and his father have no place in this context. They are newcomers in this field. Anirudh’s father previously contested from Mundhal and Badhra. They have emerged solely to claim my grandfather’s legacy. However, the public is aware of the reality.”
Regarding her departure from Congress to join the BJP, Shruti believes that she and her mother made a timely and wise decision.
“The Congress has lost its footing and lacks organization and vision. During Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s tenure as chief minister, many projects in this region were halted, which weakened the party. My grandfather always said that a chief minister must possess a broader vision,” she states as her motorcade moves towards Kharkhari Sohan village.
Challenges for the new MLA
Jaibir Singh from Riwasa village highlights that the introduction of the Agnipath scheme, along with rising unemployment, farmer discontent, and water scarcity, will significantly impact the voting behavior in Tosham. Ved Prakash from Dinod village notes that addressing the development needs of this constituency, particularly in tackling water scarcity, will pose a challenge for the incoming MLA.
Constituency profile
Total voters: 223,609
Male: 119,469
Female: 104,139
Transgender: One
Prominent contestants: Shruti Choudhry (BJP), Anirudh Chaudhary (Congress), Shashi Ranjan Parmar (Independent), Om Singh (BSP), Rajesh Bhardwaj (JJP)
Contest: Head-to-Head
Factors at play: Water scarcity, Agnipath scheme, unemployment, farmers’ anger, Bansi Lal’s legacy, BJP dissident.
Past elections
2005: Surender Singh (Congress)
2009: Kiran Choudhry (Congress)
2014: Kiran Choudhry (Congress)
2019: Kiran Choudhry (Congress)
