His political debut was in 1978, when he won the student union elections of DAV Degree College. In 1985, Harendra Malik contested the elections from Khatauli Assembly seat of Muzaffarnagar on a ticket from Lok Dal and emerged victorious. In 1989, Malik contested from Janata Dal from Baghra assembly seat of Muzaffarnagar and won. Subsequently, in the elections of 1991 and 1993, he won the Baghra seat under Janata Dal ticket. But in 1996 Assembly election, he lost the seat to BJP”s Pradeep Balyan. Similarly, while contesting as an MP candidate from Muzaffarnagar on 1998, 1999, and 2009, he faced defeats. In 2019 General elections, BJP”s Pradeep Choudhary defeated Harendra Malik  from Kairana seat. Harendra Malik has also been elected as a Rajya Sabha member in 2002.

Ever since Harendra Malik joined SP, Akhilesh Yadav has made him the party’s national general secretary to unite Jat votes in the region. The party”s decision to field Malik from Muzzaffarnagar was sure decision. Even when SP was in agreement with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) to share seats, the former was not ready to forego Muzzaffarnagar seat for the latter. When RLD stayed firm for the seat, SP even made the proposition that Harendra Malik will contest on the RLD symbol.

Harendra Malik”s son, Pankaj Malik is the sitting SP MLA from Charthawal assembly constituency belong to Muzaffarnagar parliamentary division.