Savitri Jindal, India’s richest woman and chairperson of the OP Jindal Group, has officially filed her nomination to contest the Haryana Assembly elections as an independent candidate from the Hisar constituency. The 74-year-old made this decision after the ruling BJP denied her a ticket and instead fielded Minister Kamal Gupta for the seat.
In a statement, Savitri Jindal expressed her commitment to serving Hisar, saying, “Hisar, which is like family to me, has expressed a strong desire for me to contest. I cannot turn down their wishes. To honor their feelings, I am determined to run in this election.” This move comes in response to dissatisfaction among her supporters after the BJP chose not to endorse her.
Despite her recent alignment with the BJP—following her son Naveen Jindal’s switch from Congress to BJP ahead of the 2024 general elections—Savitri Jindal clarified that she had never officially joined the party. Her candidacy is seen as an effort to address the concerns of her local supporters.
Savitri Jindal, who previously served as a Congress MLA and minister, asserted that her decision to run independently is motivated by her desire to complete ongoing developmental projects in Hisar. “I have dedicated the past 20 years to public service. This will be my final election, and I wish to complete the tasks I have started,” she told The Indian Express.
She remains the only woman on Forbes’ list of the top 10 richest Indians. Jindal entered politics following the death of her husband, OP Jindal, the founder of the Jindal Group. After winning a by-poll in Hisar in 2005, she served as a minister for nine years under the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government before losing the seat to Kamal Gupta in the 2014 Assembly elections.
Regarding her political affiliations, Savitri Jindal claimed she did not resign from Congress and has not engaged in discussions with any other party. She maintains a good relationship with Bhupinder Singh Hooda, describing him as a mentor and elder brother.
In her nomination papers, Savitri Jindal declared assets worth ₹270.66 crore, reflecting a significant increase from ₹113 crore reported during the 2014 Assembly elections.