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.
No members of families of former CMs Bansi Lal & Bhajan Lal are contesting LS elections, but 4 from Devi Lal's family are in fray still — 3 fielded by different parties from Hisar.
Mineral security is no longer just an economic concern but a national security imperative, underpinning the country’s ambitions in clean energy, defence self-reliance, and advanced manufacturing.
Mini deal will likely see no cut in 10% baseline tariff on Indian exports announced by Trump on 2 April, it is learnt, but additional 26% tariffs are set to be reduced.
India-Russia JV is also racing to deliver 7,000 more AK-203 assault rifles by 15 Aug. These are currently being made with 50% indigenisation and this will surge to 100% by 31 December.
BJP has no dynastic succession, at least not at the top. You can trace this back to Vajpayee-Advani era. This act of spotting, empowering younger talent is even more striking with the choice of BJP presidents.
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