Om Prakash Chautala obit | Haryana's farming community will feel the void

Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala passed away on Friday (December 20) at the age of 89, bringing an end to an era of politics where regional parties and leaders played a dominant role in national politics.

Chautala embarked on his political journey under the shadows of his father, Chaudhary Devi Lal, the former deputy prime minister of India. He played a significant role in the politics of Third Front and was also a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) when former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was heading the alliance at the national level.

Five-time chief minister of Haryana

Known for his political acumen and grassroots appeal, Chautala played a critical role in shaping Haryana’s politics during a transformative period for the state. A five-time chief minister of Haryana, Chautala completed his first five-year tenure between 1999 and 2005 when he was part of the NDA at the national level.

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Even though Chautala primarily worked under the guidance of his father in his initial years, he played an important role in the formation and building the organisational network of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). In a way Chautala was the last leader of the undivided INLD whose politics revolved around the rural population of Haryana, primarily the Jat community, which supported the family in its political journey both at the state as well as the national level.

“His demise is like an end of era because he was the last leader of united INLD and also the family. After Chautala’s sons took control of the party, the INLD and family got divided and gradually lost its political significance in Haryana. Om Prakash Chautala was the most successful son of Chaudhary Devi Lal who carried forward his legacy after his death,” Kushal Pal, Kurukshetra-based political analyst, told The Federal.

Corruption taint on his career

Though Chautala wielded considerable clout at the national and state level during his political career, he was also the only former chief minister of Haryana who got convicted in a corruption case and served a jail term. While he was released from jail early, his family and his party got divided in his absence.

“Chautala was a leader who would get involved in the day-to-day work of party and government. While he enjoyed the support of his community, the corruption cases against him became a reason for his downfall,” Kushal Pal said.

After successfully completing his tenure as the chief minister of Haryana, the first setback for Chautala came in 2008 when a corruption case was registered against him. In 2013, he was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail by a court in New Delhi.

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The second jolt for the Jat leader came in May, 2022, when he was awarded a four-year jail term in disproportionate assets case by a CBI court.

“The state government performed well under him but his two sons became his biggest weakness. The party was mainly run by the three of them. The INLD increasingly became limited to one family and one community under his sons Ajay Singh Chautala and Abhay Singh Chautala,” Ashutosh Kumar, political science professor at Panjab University told The Federal.

Affinity with the farmers’ cause

At a time when the farmers are staging protests against the Union government over a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP), the farming community of Haryana will feel the void created by Chautala’s demise because he may have played a decisive role in bridging the gap between the farmers and the government.

“The main support base of INLD, Chaudhary Devi Lal and Om Prakash Chautala came from rural Haryana. The INLD was possibly among the very few parties which was formed to cater to the needs of farmers, and it drew strength from the rural population,” Kumar added.

Interestingly, the party, which was formed to accord priority to the rural population and the farmers, witnessed its worst electoral performance in the recently concluded Haryana Assembly polls where the INLD and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) failed to make any significant impact.

While INLD under Abhay Chautala could win only two seats, JJP, which was formed by Ajay Chautala after the split in the family in 2019, could not win a single seat.

“Om Prakash Chautala’s sons and grandsons have failed to carry forward the family’s legacy. The family as well as the party witnessed a split and the INLD is no longer a dominant force which it used to be,” said Kushal Pal.

Also read: Haryana's BJP govt loses majority in assembly ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Had age-related health issues

Chautala suffered a cardiac arrest at his Gurugram residence and was immediately rushed to a hospital but could not be saved, a party spokesperson said.

He breathed his last at around 12 noon in Medanta hospital, a senior police officer said.

Chautala had been facing age-related health issues in the recent past. He is survived by two sons and three daughters. His wife Sneh Lata had passed away over five years ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini were among a host of leaders who condoled the demise of Chautala.