Om Prakash Chautala
Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala dies (89). Om Prakash Chautala was a towering figure in Indian politics and a prominent leader of the Jat community, but his career was marred by controversy and imprisonment. Chautala, who was born on January 1, 1935 and served as chief minister of Haryana five times, died at the age of 89 in Gurgaon on Friday.
Chautala was born into an influential political family. He is the eldest son of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal and the leader of the Indian National People’s Party (INLD) founded by his father. Chautala’s father is a well-known figure in Indian politics. Devir also served as chief minister of Haryana and was considered a savior of farmers.
Chautala never achieved the status of his father, but despite being less educated, he was known for his sharp political acumen and wit. Chautala served as the chief minister of Haryana five times, but his term was only completed between 1999 and 2005. During this period, he served as chief minister on and off from 1989 to July 1999.
6 times MLA, Ellenabad Garh
In 1989, Devi Lal became the deputy prime minister in the Janata Dal government, and Chautala became the chief minister. He was elected to the MLA six times and was first elected to the MLA in 1970 from the Ellenabad seat in Haryana’s Sirsa district, considered the stronghold of the Chautala family. He also represents Narwana, Uchan, Darba Kalan and Rori.
Chautala’s brothers Pratap and Ranjit Chautala are also MLAs, while his other brother Jagdish’s son Aditya Devi Lal is the current INLD MLA. Chautala’s two sons Abhay and Ajay and their sons are also in politics.
also related to controversy
In 1990, Meham parliamentary seat became the focus of national news after large-scale violence broke out. The opposition then accused Chautala of putting pressure on him for his victory there. The incident became infamous in Haryana politics as the “Meham Affair”. Since then, parliamentary elections for this seat had to be postponed three times. The Meham incident occurred after a rebel Lok Dal leader and seven others were killed in violence.
Chautala served as chief minister for a period between 1989-91. He completed his term in 1999. During this period, the BJP was an ally of the Indian Democratic Alliance, although it was not part of the government. The INLD was then an ally of the NDA at the Centre, but relations between the two broke down ahead of the 2005 Haryana Assembly elections.
Served as Chief Minister of Haryana 5 times
He served as Chief Minister from December 1989 to May 1990, July 12, 1990 to July 17, 1990, March 1991 to April 6, 1991 and July 1999 to February 2005. . The Lok Dal has not come to power in Haryana since 2005, and its support has been declining in the years since its electoral defeat.
In December 2018, Chautala’s eldest son Ajay Chautala formed the Janata Dal (JJP) after the INLD split due to family feud. The JJP later supported the BJP in 2019 when the saffron party failed to secure a majority in the assembly elections. In a major political development in the state in March 2024, the Bharatiya Janata Party sacked Khattar as chief minister and appointed Naib Singh Saini as the chief minister of the state.
Jailed for teacher recruitment scam
The biggest shock came to Om Prakash Chautala when he was jailed in 2013 in a teacher recruitment scam. In 2000, during the INLD regime, Chautala, his son Ajay and 53 others, including an IAS officer, were convicted and sentenced in a case of illegal recruitment of 3,206 junior basic teachers.
In January 2013, a special CBI court sentenced all those involved in the case to various periods of imprisonment. Chautala was released from Delhi’s Tihar Jail in July 2021 after being jailed for 10 years in the teacher recruitment scam case.
Later in May 2022, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case and was sent to Tihar Jail again. As before, he was imprisoned in Prison No. 2. At 87 years old, he became the oldest prisoner in the prison. In August 2002, the Delhi High Court suspended Chautala’s four-year sentence pending his appeal against his conviction in the disproportionate assets case.
Sarkar Aapke Dwar scheme popular in Haryana
Chautala’s ‘Sarkar Aapke Dwar’ scheme was a major initiative of the INLD government during his tenure as chief minister. The Chief Minister visits every village, inquires about the needs of the people and takes decisions on the spot to implement the demands of the people.
At the age of 82, Chautala passed the first-class high school examination while serving 10 years in Tihar Jail. Chautala’s younger son Abhay Singh Chautala is a senior leader of the INLD, while former MP Ajay Chautala leads the JJP. Abhay’s son Arjun is Haryana MLA, while Ajay’s sons Dushyant and Digvijay are JJP leaders.
Dushyant Chautala was also the deputy chief minister of Haryana when Khattar was chief minister, but the two parted ways after differences with the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections. Chautala’s daughter-in-law and Ajay’s wife Naina Chautala is also the MLA of JJP.
