Abhay Singh, Ajay Singh & Dushyant Chautala among those who come out in support of former vice-president. It was Devi Lal who initiated Dhankhar into politics.
Bansi Lal, a trusted ally of Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi, was the face of the Emergency in Haryana. Kiran & Shruti Choudhry joined BJP from Congress before 2024 Assembly polls.
On his 14th death anniversary, a look at the shrewd leader who orchestrated overnight coups, kept Haryana guessing, gifted generously to civil servants, politicians, and to Madhuri Dixit.
He was first from his family to have started writing his village name of Chautala as second name. His father Devi Lal’s influence was evident in his political style and strategies.
All assembly polls in past 5 decades have had candidates from each of the 3 influential families. October’s elections are set to feature some direct contests among members of same clan.
Former CM and Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar essayed a key role in BJP’s alignment with descendants of Lals & is often referred to as the fourth Lal in Haryana politics.
Devi Lal’s granddaughters-in-law Naina Chautala of JJP and Sunaina Chautala of INLD also fared poorly in family bastion Hisar, getting just around 22,000 votes each.
Sukhbir Singh Badal was present when Devi Lal’s grandson Abhay Chautala filed his nomination from Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat. He also exhorted his SAD(B) workers to help INLD candidates in Haryana.
Devi Lal’s son Ranjit Singh, granddaughters-in-law Sunaina Chautala and Naina Chautala, and protégé Jai Parkash are all invoking his name in their Hisar campaigns.
As Haryana gears up to vote for Lok Sabha polls of 25 May & assembly polls later this year, residents of Chautala claim village has always been a victim of politics.
Standing up to America is usually not a personal risk for a leader in India. Any suggestions of foreign pressure unites India behind who they see as leading them in that fight.
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