The Uchana Kalan assembly seat, located in Haryana’s Jat heartland, is once again the stage for a high-stakes political showdown in the 2024 state elections. At the center of this fierce triangular contest are two prominent Jat political dynasties, with former Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and Congress candidate Brijendra Singh, a former Hisar MP, locked in a battle of prestige.
The Uchana Kalan seat has long been a symbol of rivalry between the families of Sir Chhotu Ram and Devi Lal, two of Haryana’s most influential Jat leaders. Sir Chhotu Ram’s grandson, Birender Singh, a veteran Congress leader, has contested the seat against Devi Lal’s son, Om Prakash Chautala, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supremo, for decades. This time, the stakes are higher as Dushyant Chautala, Om Prakash’s grandson, faces off against Brijendra Singh, the son of Birender Singh, in a fight that has been brewing for years.
Brijendra Singh, who served as BJP MP from Hisar, joined Congress earlier this year, along with his father Birender and mother Prem Lata, after a prolonged fallout with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The family had distanced itself from the BJP following their support of the 2020 farmers’ protest and later joined the wrestlers’ movement against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Birender Singh’s return to Congress came after the BJP refused to sever ties with Dushyant Chautala’s JJP, despite his demands.
The rivalry between Dushyant Chautala and Brijendra Singh is personal as well as political. In 2019, Brijendra defeated Dushyant in the Hisar Lok Sabha elections, only to see his mother Prem Lata lose the Uchana Kalan seat to Dushyant later that year. This defeat came after years of dominance by Birender Singh, who had held the seat five times, and also lost to Om Prakash Chautala in 2009.
With both candidates launching aggressive campaigns, highlighting their achievements during their respective terms, the Uchana Kalan seat has become a focal point of Haryana’s assembly polls. The BJP, meanwhile, is fielding a Brahmin candidate, Devender Attri, hoping to attract non-Jat voters and avoid getting entangled in the Chautala-Singh dynastic feud.
Congress faces additional challenges with two party rebels, Virender Ghoghrian and Dilbag Sandil, entering the race, threatening a split in its vote bank. Furthermore, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded Pawan Fauji, which could further divide anti-BJP voters.
As the Uchana Kalan seat becomes a three-way battle, the political future of two of Haryana’s most influential Jat families hangs in the balance.
Seat Profile:
- Total Voters: 2.18 lakh
- Male Voters: 1.17 lakh
- Female Voters: 1.01 lakh
- Third Gender: NIL
