Aruna Chaudhary

Aruna Chaudhary
MLA, Punjab
Incumbent
Assumed office
2012
Preceded bySita Ram Kashyap
ConstituencyDina Nagar
In office
2002–2007
Preceded byRoop Rani
Succeeded bySita Ram Kashyap
ConstituencyDina Nagar
Deputy Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 September 2024
Preceded byRaj Kumar Chabbewal
Personal details
Born (1957-04-16) 16 April 1957 (age 67)
Amritsar, Punjab
Political partyIndian National Congress
Residence(s)Awakha, Gurdaspur, Punjab, India

Aruna Chaudhary is an Indian politician and a member of Indian National Congress. Aruna Chaudhary is a senior leader of Punjab Congress. She is member of 15th Punjab Legislative Assembly (MLA) and represents Dina Nagar constituency.[1]

Political career

Chaudhary was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 2002 from Dina Nagar.[2] In 2012, she was re-elected from Dina Nagar.[3] She was one of the 42 INC MLAs who submitted their resignation in protest of a decision of the Supreme Court of India ruling Punjab's termination of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) water canal unconstitutional.[4]

In addition to this, she is General Secretary, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and Member, AICC. Aruna has contested 4 elections in a row on the INC ticket and won 3 of these elections in 2002, 2012, and 2017. In the last elections held in 2017, she secured more than 72000 votes and won with a margin of 31917 votes (highest amongst women and 6th highest in-state) by defeating B.D. Dhupal of BJP. She is most senior amongst only 3 women legislators of the ruling Congress party and is inducted in the council of ministers as a Minister of State. She is now in charge of the Revenue and disaster management departments of Punjab. She was Chairperson of Punjab Civil Supplies department from 2004 to 2007. On 2 September 2024, She was appointed Deputy leader of the Congress Legislative Party in Punjab Legislative Assembly after the defection of Raj Kumar Chabbewal from Congress to Aam Aadmi Party.[5]

Development projects

Aruna has been actively participating in development in and around the constituency and instrumental in construction of 85 km new link roads and repair of all existing roads while serving the tenure as MLA from the constituency that is situated on Indo-Pak international Border. Spearheaded the approvals and getting construction completed for five road culverts and two pontoon bridges, providing piped potable water supply to almost all the villages, construction of Dharamshalas, construction of internal streets, drains in villages and community centre etc.

Social involvement

Got the cases of pension and other admissible benefits to eligible senior citizens, widows and orphans sanctioned from Social Security/Welfare departments.

Electoral performance

This section is transcluded from Dina Nagar Assembly constituency. (edit | history)
Punjab Assembly election, 2007: Dina Nagar[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
BJP Sita Ram 49,173 48.14 Increase3.60
INC Aruna Chaudhary 48,331 47.32 Decrease0.73
Majority 842 0.82
Turnout 102,126 74.06 Increase8.96
BJP gain from INC Swing
Punjab Assembly election, 2012: Dina Nagar[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
INC Aruna Chaudhary 65,993 52.91 Increase5.59
BJP Bishan Dass 53,066 42.55 Decrease5.59
Majority 12,927 10.36
Turnout 124,717 74.06 Increase1.51
INC gain from BJP Swing
Punjab Assembly election, 2017: Dina Nagar[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
INC Aruna Chaudhary 72,176 55.82 Increase2.91
BJP Bishan Dass 40,259 31.14 Decrease11.41
AAP Joginder Singh 10,258 7.93 new
NOTA None of the above 1,231 0.95 −−
Majority 31,917 24.45
Turnout 130,525 71.80 Decrease2.26
Registered electors 181,776 [12]
INC hold Swing
Punjab Assembly election, 2022: Dina Nagar
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
INC Aruna Chaudhary[13] 51,133 36.60 Decrease19.22
AAP Shamsher Singh[14] 50,002 35.79 Increase27.86
BJP Renu Kashyap 20,560 14.72 Decrease16.42
BSP Kamaljeet Chawla 15,534 11.12 Increase10.67
1,584 1.11 Decrease3.94
NOTA None of the above 931 0.67 Decrease0.28
Majority 1,131 0.80
Turnout 139,708
Registered electors 192,562 [15]
INC hold Swing

References

  1. ^ Goyal, Divya (12 March 2022). "The Chosen 13: 'Padwoman', Moga's doctor among Punjab's women MLAs". The Indian Express. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  2. ^ "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 2002 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF PUNJAB" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  3. ^ "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 2012 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF PUNJAB" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  4. ^ "SYL verdict: 42 Punjab Congress MLAs submit resignation". 11 November 2016.
  5. ^ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/aruna-chaudhary-appointed-as-deputy-leader-of-clp-in-punjab/amp_articleshow/113005844.cms
  6. ^ "Dina Nagar Assembly election result, 2007". Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  7. ^ Election Commission of India. "Punjab General Legislative Election 2007". Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Dina Nagar Assembly election result, 2012". Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  9. ^ Election Commission of India. "Punjab General Legislative Election 2012". Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Dina Nagar Assembly election result, 2017". Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  11. ^ Election Commission of India. "Punjab General Legislative Election 2017". Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  12. ^ Chief Electoral Officer - Punjab. "Electors and Polling Stations - VS 2017" (PDF). Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Punjab Elections 2022: Full list of Congress Candidates and their Constituencies". FE Online. No. The Financial Express (India). The Indian Express Group. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Punjab Election 2022: Complete List of AAP Candidates, Check Names HERE". www.india.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Punjab General Legislative Election 2022". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 18 May 2022.