The Kumhar (Prajapati) community of Haryana has sent strong leaders to the Vidhan Sabha for nearly five decades. Between 1977 and 2024, community candidates won seven Haryana Assembly elections across Barwala, Safidon, Jind and Nalwa. The most respected name among them is Prof. Parmanand Adhir — the Jind MLA of 1987, a beloved poet, and the man remembered as Haryana’s first Prajapati cabinet minister.
This article gives you the complete, verified list of Kumhar community elected MLAs of Haryana, showing exactly who won each seat and whom they defeated (kis ne kis ko haraya). All numbers below are based on Election Commission of India results. We also share the life story of Prof. Parmanand Adhir (परमानंद अधीर) — जन कवि, teacher, and one of the tallest leaders the Prajapati samaj of Haryana has ever produced.
Table of Contents
- Quick Answer: Kumhar Community MLAs of Haryana
- Full List: Who Defeated Whom (1977–2024)
- Election-by-Election: Kis Ne Kis Ko Haraya
- Who Was Prof. Parmanand Adhir?
- Haryana’s First Prajapati Cabinet Minister
- Jan Kavi Parmanand Adhir — The Poet MLA
- Parmanand Adhir Educational & Charitable Trust
- Key Facts and Patterns
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Quick Answer: Kumhar Community MLAs of Haryana
Five Kumhar (Prajapati) community candidates have won Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections since 1977: Jai Narain Verma (Barwala, 1977), Kundan Lal (Safidon, 1982), Prof. Parmanand Adhir (Jind, 1987), Ram Niwas Ghorela (Barwala, 2009) and Ranbir Gangwa (Nalwa 2014, Nalwa 2019, Barwala 2024). Among them, Prof. Parmanand Adhir recorded the biggest win with 53.11% of the vote.
The community has held seats across four constituencies and under five different party symbols — Janata Party, Congress, Lok Dal, INLD and BJP. This shows how deeply the Prajapati samaj is rooted in Haryana politics, from the Janata wave of 1977 to the present day.
Full List: Who Defeated Whom (1977–2024)
The table below is the up-to-date list of Kumhar (Prajapati) community elected MLAs of Haryana. It shows the winner, the party, the vote share, and the runner-up who was defeated in each election.
| # | Election (Assembly) | Constituency | Winner (Kumhar/Prajapati) | Party | Votes | Vote % | Defeated (Runner-up) | Winning Margin |
| 1 | 1977 (4th) | Barwala | Jai Narain Verma | JNP | 16,857 | 38.71% | Thandi Ram (IND) | 7,699 |
| 2 | 1982 (5th) | Safidon | Kundan Lal | INC | 17,303 | 31.28% | Satvir Singh (LKD) | 6,968 |
| 3 | 1987 (6th) | Jind | Prof. Parmanand Adhir | LKD | 39,323 | 53.11% | Mange Ram Gupta (INC) | 8,102 |
| 4 | 2009 (11th) | Barwala | Ram Niwas Ghorela | INC | 29,998 | 31.80% | Sheela Bhayan (INLD) | 9,396 |
| 5 | 2014 (12th) | Nalwa | Ranbir Gangwa | INLD | 41,950 | 35.98% | Chander Mohan (HJC-BL) | 7,115 |
| 6 | 2019 (13th) | Nalwa | Ranbir Gangwa | BJP | 47,523 | 41.27% | Randhir Panihar (INC) | 9,672 |
| 7 | 2024 (14th) | Barwala | Ranbir Gangwa | BJP | 66,843 | 47.86% | Ram Niwas Ghorela (INC) | 26,942 |
Party key: JNP = Janata Party, INC = Indian National Congress, LKD = Lok Dal, INLD = Indian National Lok Dal, BJP = Bharatiya Janata Party, HJC-BL = Haryana Janhit Congress (Bhajan Lal).
Election-by-Election: Kis Ne Kis Ko Haraya
Here is the full story of each win — the vote counts, the runner-up, and what made the result special. This is the heart of the “kis ne kis ko haraya” record for the Prajapati samaj of Haryana.
1977 — Barwala: Jai Narain Verma (JNP)
In the post-Emergency Janata wave, Jai Narain Verma won Barwala on a Janata Party (JNP) ticket. He polled 16,857 votes (38.71%) in a crowded field of 12 candidates. He defeated the independent Thandi Ram, who got 9,158 votes, by a margin of 7,699 votes. Turnout was 68.8%. This became the community’s first Assembly win in the newly-formed Haryana political map of that era.
1982 — Safidon: Kundan Lal (INC)
Kundan Lal captured Safidon for the Congress (INC) with 17,303 votes (31.28%). The contest was one of the most crowded in the state, with 26 candidates on the ballot. He beat Satvir Singh of the Lok Dal (LKD), who secured 10,335 votes, by 6,968 votes. Turnout touched 73.1%, showing how competitive central Haryana had become.
1987 — Jind: Prof. Parmanand Adhir (Lok Dal) — the landslide
This was the community’s most powerful victory. Prof. Parmanand Adhir, contesting on the Lok Dal (LKD) symbol during the Devi Lal wave, swept Jind with 39,323 votes — a commanding 53.11% vote share. He defeated the veteran Congress leader Mange Ram Gupta (31,221 votes), a multiple-time minister of Haryana, by 8,102 votes. Winning more than half of all valid votes in a big constituency is rare, and it made Prof. Parmanand Adhir the standout Prajapati MLA of his generation. Parmanand Adhir MLA Jind remains a landmark result in the community’s history.
2009 — Barwala: Ram Niwas Ghorela (INC)
After a gap, the community returned to the Assembly through Ram Niwas Ghorela, who won Barwala for the Congress with 29,998 votes (31.80%). In a tight three-way fight, he defeated Sheela Bhayan of the INLD (20,602 votes) by 9,396 votes, with Subhash Tak of Bhajan Lal’s HJC (18,785 votes) close behind in third. Turnout was 74.6%.
2014 — Nalwa: Ranbir Gangwa (INLD)
Ranbir Gangwa, already a Rajya Sabha member from the INLD, entered the Assembly by winning Nalwa with 41,950 votes (35.98%). He defeated Chander Mohan — the son of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal and himself a former Deputy CM — who was contesting on the HJC-BL symbol (34,835 votes), by 7,115 votes. He also pushed sitting minister Sampat Singh (Congress) to third place. It was a giant-killing performance.
2019 — Nalwa: Ranbir Gangwa (BJP)
Now with the BJP, Ranbir Gangwa retained Nalwa with an even bigger vote — 47,523 votes (41.27%). He defeated Randhir Panihar of the Congress (37,851 votes) by 9,672 votes. This win led to his appointment as Deputy Speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly (2019–2024), one of the highest offices a Prajapati leader has held in the state.
2024 — Barwala: Ranbir Gangwa (BJP) — the record margin
In 2024 the BJP shifted Ranbir Gangwa from Nalwa to Barwala, and he responded with the community’s biggest-ever winning margin. He polled 66,843 votes (47.86%) and defeated Congress candidate Ram Niwas Ghorela — the same leader who had won Barwala in 2009 — by a huge 26,942 votes. In an interesting twist, both the winner and the runner-up were Prajapati community leaders. After this win, Ranbir Gangwa became a Cabinet Minister in the Nayab Singh Saini government, handling Public Health Engineering and Public Works (B&R).
Who Was Prof. Parmanand Adhir? (परमानंद अधीर कौन थे)
Prof. Parmanand Adhir (परमानंद अधीर) was a teacher, poet and politician from Haryana, best known as the Jind MLA of 1987 and as one of the strongest leaders (प्रजापति समाज के सबसे मजबूत नेता) the Prajapati (Kumhar) community has produced. He rose from the classroom to the Vidhan Sabha, always keeping education and social upliftment at the centre of his public life.
His 1987 Jind victory — with a rare 53%+ vote share — placed him among the most influential Backward-class leaders in Haryana at the time. He was closely associated with the Chaudhary Devi Lal political stream (Lok Dal, which later became the INLD), and carried the voice of farmers, artisans and the poor into the Assembly. For the Prajapati samaj, Parmanand Adhir ka jeevan parichay (जीवन परिचय) is a story of pride, hard work and service.
Haryana’s First Prajapati Cabinet Minister (हरियाणा का पहला प्रजापति कैबिनेट मंत्री)
Prof. Parmanand Adhir is honoured as Haryana’s first Prajapati cabinet minister — the first person from the Kumhar (Prajapati) community to hold a cabinet-rank position in the state government. After his historic 1987 win, he served in the Lok Dal–led government of that era, and is widely remembered for his work in the education sector.
This is why he is often described in the community as Parmanand Adhir, education minister of Haryana and as a Prajapati cabinet minister who opened doors for the samaj. His elevation was a turning point: it proved that a Kumhar leader could rise to the highest tables of Haryana’s power structure. To this day, the phrase “Who was Haryana’s first Prajapati minister?” leads directly to his name.
Jan Kavi Parmanand Adhir — The Poet MLA (जन कवि परमानंद अधीर)
Beyond politics, Prof. Parmanand Adhir was a gifted poet (कवि) — lovingly called Jan Kavi Parmanand Adhir (जन कवि परमानंद अधीर). His poems (Parmanand Adhir kavita / poems) spoke the language of ordinary people: their struggles, their dignity, and their dreams for a better future.
As a साहित्यकार of the Prajapati samaj, he used poetry as a tool to awaken social awareness, encourage education, and unite the community. His verses are still recited at community gatherings across Haryana. Few leaders combine the roles of MLA, minister, teacher and poet the way he did — which is why he remains one of the most inspiring personalities of the Prajapati samaj (प्रजापति समाज के प्रेरणादायक व्यक्तित्व).
Parmanand Adhir Educational & Charitable Trust
To carry his mission forward, the family and followers of Prof. Parmanand Adhir run the Parmanand Adhir Educational & Charitable Trust, based in Hisar, Haryana. The Trust continues his lifelong belief that education is the surest way to lift the community.
The work of this charitable trust in Hisar / educational trust in Haryana typically includes:
- Scholarships for poor students in Hisar and nearby districts, so that no talented child drops out for want of money.
- NGO-style support for education — books, coaching guidance and school support for first-generation learners.
- Free health camps in Hisar, bringing check-ups and medicines to villages and low-income families.
- Community awareness programmes that honour the values Prof. Parmanand Adhir stood for.
His legacy is also carried forward by his family, including community-minded members such as Sudhir Tanwar Adhir (सुधीर तंवर अधीर) and Engineer Dharampal Prajapati, who continue to work for the upliftment of the Prajapati samaj.
To support the Trust, apply for a scholarship, or contact the team, please use the contact page on this website.
Key Facts and Patterns
A closer look at the data reveals some interesting patterns in the community’s electoral journey:
- Seven wins, four constituencies: Barwala (3 times), Nalwa (2 times), Safidon (1) and Jind (1).
- Five different party symbols: The community has won under Janata Party, Congress, Lok Dal, INLD and BJP — proving its appeal cuts across party lines.
- Biggest vote share: Prof. Parmanand Adhir’s 53.11% in Jind (1987) is the highest ever recorded by a community MLA in this list.
- Biggest margin: Ranbir Gangwa’s 26,942-vote win in Barwala (2024).
- Prajapati vs Prajapati: In 2024, both the winner (Ranbir Gangwa) and the runner-up (Ram Niwas Ghorela) came from the community.
- From MLA to high office: The community has produced a cabinet minister in both eras — Prof. Parmanand Adhir in the Lok Dal government and Ranbir Gangwa in the present BJP government — as well as a Deputy Speaker (Gangwa, 2019–2024).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Who was Prof. Parmanand Adhir? (परमानंद अधीर कौन थे) Prof. Parmanand Adhir was a teacher, poet and politician from Haryana. He won the Jind Assembly seat in 1987 on a Lok Dal ticket with 53.11% of the vote, and is remembered as Haryana’s first Prajapati (Kumhar) cabinet minister. He is also celebrated as a Jan Kavi (people’s poet) of the Prajapati samaj.
Q2. Who was Haryana’s first Prajapati cabinet minister? Prof. Parmanand Adhir is honoured as Haryana’s first cabinet minister from the Prajapati (Kumhar) community. After winning Jind in 1987, he served in the state government of that era and is best known for his work in the education sector, making him a landmark figure for the community.
Q3. Whom did Prof. Parmanand Adhir defeat in the 1987 Jind election? In 1987, Prof. Parmanand Adhir defeated the senior Congress leader Mange Ram Gupta, a multiple-time minister of Haryana. Adhir polled 39,323 votes (53.11%) against Gupta’s 31,221 votes, winning by a margin of 8,102 votes — a landslide result in a large constituency.
Q4. Which Kumhar (Prajapati) leaders have been MLAs in Haryana? Seven community wins are on record since 1977: Jai Narain Verma (Barwala 1977), Kundan Lal (Safidon 1982), Prof. Parmanand Adhir (Jind 1987), Ram Niwas Ghorela (Barwala 2009), and Ranbir Gangwa (Nalwa 2014, Nalwa 2019, Barwala 2024).
Q5. Was Prof. Parmanand Adhir a poet? Yes. He was a well-loved poet, often called Jan Kavi Parmanand Adhir (जन कवि परमानंद अधीर). His poems (Parmanand Adhir kavita) focused on social awareness, education and the dignity of ordinary people, and are still recited at Prajapati community events across Haryana.
Q6. What does the Parmanand Adhir Educational & Charitable Trust do? The Trust, based in Hisar, works in education and welfare in his memory. Its activities include scholarships for poor students, education support for first-generation learners, and free health camps in the Hisar region, continuing Prof. Parmanand Adhir’s belief that education uplifts the community.
Conclusion
From the Janata wave of 1977 to the record margin of 2024, the Kumhar (Prajapati) community has stood firmly at the centre of Haryana’s political history. Seven Assembly wins, five party symbols and two cabinet ministers tell a clear message: this is a community that leads, not follows.
At the heart of that story stands Prof. Parmanand Adhir — the teacher who became an MLA, the MLA who became a minister, and the leader who became a poet of the people. His 1987 Jind landslide, his role as Haryana’s first Prajapati cabinet minister, and the ongoing work of the Parmanand Adhir Educational & Charitable Trust keep his mission alive.
To learn more about his life, read his poetry, or support the Trust’s education and health work in Hisar, explore the rest of this website and get in touch with the team.