Anil Vij wins Ambala Cantt, defeating independent Chitra Sarwara

Former Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has emerged victorious in the Ambala Cantt seat, winning by a margin of 7,277 votes

| Updated: 08 October, 2024 12:10 pm IST

NEW DELHI: Former Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has emerged victorious in the Ambala Cantt seat, winning by a margin of 7,277 votes over his closest competitor. Exit polls had predicted Vij as a strong contender, with independent candidate Chitra Sarwara posing the main challenge. Congress’s Parvinder Singh Pari finished third in the race.

During the polling for Haryana’s 90 Assembly constituencies on October 5, Vij cast his vote in his constituency and confidently stated that the BJP would form the next government in the state.

Anil Vij emphasized his role as a senior leader within the BJP’s Haryana unit, positioning himself as a suitable candidate for the Chief Minister’s post. “In 2014, when our government was formed, I was the senior-most leader. From 2009 to 2014, I served as the Leader of Opposition, raising numerous corruption cases during the Congress regime, many of which are still ongoing against Bhupinder Singh Hooda,” Vij said, according to media sources.

He further added, “When Manohar Lal Khattar was replaced by Nayab Singh Saini as Chief Minister, concerns arose among the people of Haryana. They questioned why a junior leader like Nayab Singh Saini could become CM, but not Anil Vij. Some leaders even mentioned that they wanted to make me Chief Minister but believed I wasn’t interested in the position.”

Anil Vij has held several significant portfolios in the Haryana state government, including health and medical education, and his popularity in Ambala Cantt has remained largely unchallenged until now. Vij, born on March 15, 1953, began his political journey through the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), during his college years.

In 1970, he was appointed as the General Secretary of ABVP. He first became a legislator in 1990 after winning a by-election and later secured victories as an independent candidate in both 1996 and 2000. Although he faced defeat in 2005, he made a comeback in the 2009 elections, winning from Ambala Cantt on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.

He continued his winning streak in 2014 and 2019, serving as the Home Minister in Manohar Lal Khattar’s government, with additional responsibilities. With his recent victory, Vij has now been elected as an MLA seven times.

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