Haryana assembly elections 2024: Savitri Jindal, India’s richest woman, back as lawmaker

India’s richest woman is back as a lawmaker in Haryana. Savitri Jindal, contesting independently, has secured a significant victory from the Hisar Assembly constituency, winning by a margin of 18,941 votes. She defeated BJP's Kamal Gupta and Congress candidate Ram Niwas Rara. She previously represented the seat in Haryana assembly in 2005 and 2009. She had even served as a minister in Congress government. She then lost the 2014 polls but remained a powerful force.

Taking to X, Jindal thanked the voters of Hisar to show confidence in her.

“Abhaar Hisar Parivar” (Gratitude to the family of Hisar), the 74-year-old matriarch of the Jindal family wrote on X. Hisar is known to be the stronghold of the Jindal family, where it has won seats in 2005 and 2009 for Congress party.

Following the death of her husband OP Jindal in 2005, Savitri Jindal stepped into business and politics. She is now head of the Jindal Group, a conglomerate involved in steel, power, mining and infrastructure.

Savitri Jindal is India’s richest woman, with a net worth of over $29 billion. In her election affidavit, she declared her assets worth $36.30 million. Bloomberg Billionaires Index in September reported that Savitri Jindal is the fifth-richest individual in the country.

She has even received the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, in recognition of her leadership at the Jindal Group. She is also known for her contribution in areas like social welfare, notably in education, health, and rural development, which she has continued to promote through the Jindal Foundation.