Hisar Lok Sabha constituency is known as the epicenter of strong caste polarisation in the politics of Haryana.

The parliamentary seat has become the epicentre of Jats versus non-Jat politics in the recent years.

In 2014 General Elections, the caste based political alignments had remained almost unaffected in the Hisar parliamentary constituency where Dushyant Chautala, representing the fourth generation of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, had defeated BJP-HJC nominee Kuldeep Bishnoi, son of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal.

Despite strong Modi wave that had enabled the BJP to win 7 out of 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, Dushyant Chautala, representing Indian National Lok Dal at that time, had defeated BJP-HJC candidate Kuldeep Bishnoi to become the youngest ever elected MP to the Lok Sabha.

Dushyant was 26 years old at that time and had won by a margin of 31,847 votes, due to extreme polarisation of the Jats in favour of the INLD.

On the other hand, BJP’s alliance partner Haryana Janhit Congress had lost on both the seats including Hisar and Sirsa while the BJP had won seven seats out of eight, it had contested in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Dushyant Chautala has now floated separate political outfit, Jannayak Janta Party while Kuldeep Bishnoi has merged HJC party with Congress.

Political analysts say that in 2014, Kuldeep Bishnoi’s poll strategy to make it a Jat versus non-Jat contest went awry as his non-Jat card witnessed a strong counter-reaction from Jats. Even as Bishnoi managed to polarise a big chunk of non-Jat voters, the Jat voters also, consolidated behind the INLD, ditching the Congress in Lok Sabha polls at Hisar seat.

Congress nominee Sampat Singh, Aam Admi Party’s Yudhbir Singh Khyalia, Bahujan Samaj Party’s Mange Ram Varma and CPI (M) Phool Singh Sheokand were other prominent candidates in the fray.

As there was a strong consolidation of the Jat votes in favour of the INLD candidate and almost total polarisation of the non-Jat votes in favour of the BJP-HJC alliance candidate in 2014, they secured 42.75 and 40 per cent votes respectively. Congress’ candidate Sampat Singh had managed to obtain only 8.87 percent votes.

Hisar, parliamentary constituency is a Jat dominated constituency and has nine Assembly segments including Adampur, Uklana SC, Narnaund, Hansi, Barwala, Hisar, Nalwa, Uchana Kalan and Bawani Khera (SC).

Dushyant was polled 4.9 lakh votes and had led in three Assembly segments of Uchana Kalan, Uklana (SC) and Narnaud while Bishnoi, who had finished at the second spot, had led in Adampur segment, Hansi, Barwala, Hisar, Nalwa and Bawani Khera (SC).

Interestingly, Dushyant was later that year defeated by Prem Lata, wife of Congressman-turned BJP leader and Union Minister Birender Singh in Uchana Kalan Assembly segment by more than 5000 votes.

According to the Election Commission, the Hisar Lok Sabha constituency has now 15.76 lakh voters.

“The constituency has more than 5 lakh Jat voters, more than 80,000 Brahmins, over 36,000 Bishnois, 65,000 Punjabis while Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes constitute a sizeable number of more than 5 lakh voters,” as per the political experts.

Bishnoi had earlier defeated Dushyant’s father Ajay Chautala in the 2011 bye-election in Hisar parliamentary constituency, which had fallen vacant after the demise of Bhajan Lal.

It is believed that besides sympathy factor, polarisation of non-Jat votes in his favour due to the Mirchpur episode, Bhagana caste row and the Jat agitation for reservations had worked for Kuldeep Bishnoi in bypoll.

As per the past trends in Hisar parliamentary seat, Bhajan Lal of HJC won in 2009, Jai Parkash of Congress in 2004, Surender Singh Barwala of INLD registered victory in 1999 and 1998.

This year, the sitting Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala, who has now floated his separate political outfit Jannayak Janta Party is likely to contest again from the same constituency. Dushyant had floated the JJP after he alongwith his father Ajay Chautala and brother Digvijay Chautala were expelled from the INLD.

The JJP has been emerging as a key player in Haryana politics and is likely to eat into INLD's Jat vote bank in the elections.

For the Congress, Kuldeep Bisnoi is seen as a strong contender for Hisar seat while the BJP and INLD are in search of probable candidates.

Winners

2014-till now: Dushyant Chautala (INLD)

2011-2014 (bypoll): Kuldeep Bishnoi (Haryana Janhit Congress)

2009-2011: Bhajan Lal (Haryana Janhit Congress)

2004-2009: Jai Parkash (Congress)

1999-2004: Surender Singh Barwala (INLD)