Aarti Rao: Raising the election pitch with “Discrimination against South Haryana’’

Aarti Rao, daughter of veteran political figure Rao Inderjit Singh from South Haryana, is poised to enter the realm of politics.

Aarti received her education at the Lawrence School in Sanawar, Himachal Pradesh, and the Modern School in Delhi. She holds an impressive record of fifteen national titles in women's skeet shooting. After completing her BA from Delhi University, Aarti married Punjabi businessman Himmat Singh. Recently appointed as the President of the Haryana Para Sports Association, she sets her sights on the upcoming 2024 assembly elections. Despite being denied a ticket by the saffron party in 2014 and 2019, Aarti remains hopeful of securing one this time.

Carrying forward the esteemed legacy of Rao Tula Ram and Rampura house, Aarti has spent the past year extensively touring the region. On Thursdays and Fridays, she engages with residents at the ancestral Rampura house, addressing their grievances. On other days, she traverses from Gurugram to Rewari, Narnaul, Ateli, Nangal Chaudhary, participating in various programs across the region.

Expressing her determination to contest the upcoming elections, Aarti recently stated, “I will contest the election this time. From where and how I will contest – time will tell. But I will certainly contest the election.” Despite not having contested any election thus far, Aarti Rao vocalizes the issue of alleged “discrimination against South Haryana”.

Interestingly, her father, Rao Inderjit Singh, a five-time parliamentarian and four-time MLA, has represented the region across four decades, under both Congress and BJP banners. Nonetheless, Aarti’s primary focus for contesting the upcoming election revolves around addressing discrimination against South Haryana. It remains to be seen whether Aarti Rao will secure a ticket from the saffron party. Political observers in the state often attribute the denial of Aarti's candidacy and obstacles in Rao Inderjit Singh's path to becoming CM of Haryana to their non-RSS background.