Om Prakash Chautala, Former Haryana CM and INLD Leader, Passes Away at 89

Om Prakash Chautala, the supremo of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and a former chief minister of Haryana, passed away on Friday, at the age of 89. According to the party spokesperson, Chautala suffered a cardiac arrest.

Chautala was last seen in public during the Haryana Assembly elections held on October 5, where he cast his vote at a polling booth in his native Chautala village in Sirsa. Born in a village near Sirsa, Chautala followed the political footsteps of his father, Chaudhary Devi Lal, who served as India’s Deputy Prime Minister and was instrumental in the formation of Haryana as a separate state in 1966.

Om Prakash Chautala entered politics under the guidance of his father. He initially became a member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly in 1970 as part of the Janata Dal.

Despite a series of controversies, including his detention in 1978 for bringing unauthorized goods into India, Chautala’s political career remained resilient. He played a pivotal role in the “Nyaya Yudh” campaign during the 1987 elections, ensuring the INLD’s political prominence.

Chautala held the office of Haryana’s chief minister multiple times. His first tenure began in December 1989, succeeding his father.

However, he had to step down in May 1990 due to an inability to secure an assembly seat within the stipulated six months. He returned to power for short stints in 1990-91 and 1991. His longest term as chief minister lasted from July 1999 to March 2005, during which he implemented various policies for rural development.

In May 2022, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court sentenced Chautala to four years in prison in a disproportionate assets case that had been under investigation for 16 years. At the age of 87, he became the oldest inmate in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. He was released in 2020.

Chautala is survived by his sons, Abhay Singh Chautala and Ajay Singh Chautala, and three daughters. Abhay Singh Chautala is an MLA from Ellenabad and served as the Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Legislative Assembly. His grandson, Dushyant Chautala, is the leader of the Jannayak Janata Party and currently holds the position of deputy chief minister in Haryana.

Chautala’s wife, Sneh Lata, passed away in 2019. The family has maintained its political legacy, with successive generations actively participating in state and national politics.

Chautala’s role in shaping Haryana’s political landscape remains significant. He served as the state’s chief minister four times, advocating for farmers’ rights and rural infrastructure. His leadership of the INLD positioned the party as a key opposition force in Haryana.

Leaders across party lines have expressed condolences.