Virender Sehwag endorses Congress candidate in Haryana Assembly elections

NEW DELHI: 'Multan ka Sultan' Virendra Sehwag has once again padded up, only this time on the political pitch of the Haryana elections, in support of Congress candidate Anirudh Chaudhary contesting from the Tosham constituency.
The veteran cricketer expressed his close relationship with Chaudhary and acknowledged his support from Chaudhary's father, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, a former BCCI president.
"I consider him as my elder brother, and his father, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, who also served as BCCI president, had supported me a lot. This is one of the most important days for him, and I feel I would be able to help him." He further appealed to the voters of Tosham, saying, "I urge the people of Tosham to help Anirudh Chaudhary win," said Sehwag in a video message.
Anirudh Chaudhary also expressed his confidence in the Congress party's victory in the elections in the video. "I am cent per cent sure that Congress will emerge victorious because the current (BJP) government has failed to solve the problems faced by farmers," he said.
He also highlighted the pressing issues in the constituency, such as the water crisis and lack of development, and pledged to address these concerns if elected.
Sehwag's endorsement for Chaudhary has brought a new twist in the closely fought race in Tosham, where family ties and political rivalries are deeply entrenched.
Anirudh Chaudhary, aged 48, is the grandson of four-time Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal and the son of former BCCI president Ranbir Mahendra. He contesting against his cousin and BJP candidate Shruti Choudhry, who is the daughter of Bansi Lal's younger son Surender Singh, turning this into a family battle.
Tosham has traditionally been a stronghold for the Bansi Lal family, with Bansi Lal himself securing six electoral victories in the constituency. Surender Singh and his wife, Kiran Choudhry, have also represented the seat on multiple occasions.
In the 2019 elections, Kiran Choudhry emerged victorious with a margin of 18,059 votes against Parmar, who was then contesting on a BJP ticket. The constituency's caste composition reveals that Jats form the largest group at 33%, followed by Scheduled Castes at 24%, Brahmins at 10%, Rajputs at 7%, Ahirs at 4.5%, Khatis at 3.2%, Punjabi-Khatris at 2.6%, Vaish at 2%, Nai at 1.9%, and Gujjars at 1.8%.