Haryana polls: Chautala feud sees electoral battle between uncle and nephew

Rania (Haryana): Infighting within the family of one of the country’s famous Jat leaders, Chaudhary Devi Lal, known by the surname of Chautalas -- has spilled out into the battlefield of Haryana with members contesting against each other.

It's an uncle versus his nephew primarily with the uncle’s other estranged nephew backing him this time to make his first cousin bite the dust.

The Jat-dominated Rania Assembly seat falls in Sirsa district from where former cabinet minister Ranjit Singh Chautala, who held Cabinet portfolios in the outgoing BJP government, is on the ballot for the second time to retain his seat, one of the state’s hot seats. He has been contesting as an Independent candidate as the state ruling denied re-nomination.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Sheeshpal Kamboj, Congress’ Sarv Mitter and INLD’s Arjun Chautala are the main candidates, besides sitting legislator Ranjit Chautala.

INLD’s breakaway faction the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), led by Dushyant Chautala, who in 2014 was the county’s youngest MP at the age of 26 and was the Deputy Chief Minister in the state government led by Manohar Lal Khattar, is in an alliance with the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), while the INLD has tied up with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The JJP has not fielded its candidate. It has extended support to Independent candidate Ranjit Chautala, the estranged brother of Om Prakash Chautala. Ranjit, a Congress and BJP turncoat, and Om Prakash are sons of patriarch the Late Chaudhary Devi Lal, who was the Deputy Prime Minister. Om Prakash has two sons Ajay and Abhay Chautala, both estranged grandsons of Chaudhary Devi Lal, who parted ways ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The JJP’s move not to field the candidate is being seen as a bid to cut to size Abhay Chautala’s candidate son Arjun Chautala, who is making his debut in the Assembly polls.

The Chaudhary Devi Lal clan has ruled the state seven times, with Devi Lal being the Chief Minister twice and his son Om Prakash Chautala, who is now heading the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), five times beginning December 1989.

The INLD had won the Rania seat for two consecutive terms -- 2009 and 2014.

Political observers believe the ballot battle is largely between the Chautalas -- Devi Lal’s second generation versus the fourth generation.

Veteran Ranjit Chautala, while facing jibes for not retiring from public life even at the age of 79, is banking on the development and personal rapport up to the grassroots in the constituency that is largely rural with predominantly Jat voters. The Jats constitute nearly 35 per cent of electorates, with a sizeable presence of Dalits. He won the seat with a margin of 19,431 votes.

His nephew Arjun, 32, is banking on the performance of the INLD from March 2000 to March 2005, the longest term of his grandfather Om Prakash Chautala. After that, the party emerged as the principal opposition party in the 2014 polls with 19 legislators. In the outgoing Assembly, the party has a lone legislator, Abhay Chautala.

“Our government had set up a sugar mill in Sirsa with the sole objective of benefiting the sugarcane growers as the region that lies along the catchment of the Ghaggar River is fertile. When the Congress government came in 2005, it closed the sugar mill. Locals know that it is the INLD that worked for the development of the entire Sirsa district and they will vote for the party,” Arjun, an alumnus of the prestigious Bishop Cotton School in Shimla, told IANS.

Establishing a link in the local dialect, he never misses an opportunity to touch the feet of the elderly and greet them with folded hands.

Slamming the BJP government for not providing adequate job opportunities to the youth, Arjun, national president of the Indian Students Organisation (ISO) youth wing of INLD, claims that the problem of drug abuse in youth of Sirsa is a matter of serious concern as every third person is hooked to drugs other than alcohol and tobacco.

Why have the rural people fallen into the grip of drug abuse? He explains, “Unemployment is the biggest issue confronting voters. Of course, corruption in the government is also an issue, but a drug epidemic is sweeping the state.”

The family says the six-feet-three-inches-tall Arjun gets his height from his great-grandfather. His supporter, Ashok Chojjar, says, “Our elders see the ‘chhavi’ (image) of Chaudhary Devi Lal in Arjun.”

A confidant Arjun sees no challenge from his uncle Ranjit Chautala and the Congress nominee.

The INLD has fielded 51 candidates for elections to the 90-member Assembly with its ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contesting 38 seats.

Addressing a public meeting, Arjun’s father Abhay, who is in the fray to retain his Ellenabad seat in Sirsa district, said, “Jananayak Chaudhary Devi Lal-ji started old-age pension to honour the elderly, which was increased by Om Prakash Chautala as per the demand of the time. Now, after the formation of the INLD-BSP government, we pledge to increase this pension to Rs 7,500 so that the elderly can get better help.”

He questioned the Congress and the BJP why they did not implement these promises in their 10-year tenure.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), now headed by O.P. Chautala, has fielded Devi Lal's grandson Abhay Singh Chautala from Ellenabad in Sirsa and Sunaina Chautala from Fatehabad.

The Assembly elections for 90 seats in Haryana will take place on October 5. The counting of ballots will be held on October 8.