Former Haryana Chief Minister, INLD Chief Om Prakash Chautala Dies At 89

Om Prakash Chautala, the leader of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and former Chief Minister of Haryana, passed away in Gurugram on Friday, December 20, at the age of 89. According to a party spokesperson, Chautala died from a cardiac arrest.

Chautala was last seen in public during the Haryana Assembly election on October 5, 2024, when he visited a polling booth in Chautala village, Sirsa.

Photo Credit: PTI

The son of former Deputy Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Devi Lal, Chautala served as the seventh Chief Minister of Haryana.

In 2022, Chautala was sentenced to four years in prison in a 16-year-old disproportionate assets case by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court. At the age of 87, he became the oldest inmate at Delhi's Tihar Jail, though he was released in 2020.

Chautala's wife, Sneh Lata, passed away in August 2019. He is survived by three daughters and two sons, including Abhay Singh Chautala and Ajay Singh Chautala.

Abhay Singh Chautala is a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Ellenabad constituency and served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Legislative Assembly from October 2014 to March 2019.

Chautala's grandson, Dushyant Chautala, is the leader of the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and has served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana. He is also a former Member of Parliament from the Hisar constituency.

Chautala's Political Journey

Born in a small village near Sirsa, Haryana, Chautala followed in the footsteps of his father, Chaudhary Devi Lal, who played a key role in the creation of Haryana in 1966 and served as both the state's Chief Minister and India's Deputy Prime Minister. In 1996, Chautala founded the INLD party. He entered politics in 1970, being elected to Haryana's Legislative Assembly as a member of the Janata Dal (People's Party).

Chautala's early political career was marked by controversies, including a 1978 incident when he was detained at Delhi airport for bringing a large number of wristwatches into the country. This led to a rift with his father, although he later worked to restore his political image. He led the "Nyaya Yudh" campaign to support his father's successful bid in the 1987 elections and organised protests against corruption in the 1990s. However, he was also accused of involvement in the killing of a political rival in 1990.

Chautala was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1987 and served until 1990. In December 1989, he became Chief Minister of Haryana, replacing his father, who had been appointed Deputy Prime Minister of India. However, Chautala was unable to secure a seat in the state assembly within the required six months and was forced to step down in May 1990. He won a by-election and briefly served as Chief Minister again in 1990-91.

After the Congress Party won the 1991 Haryana elections, Chautala returned to the assembly through a by-election in 1993. In 1995, he resigned in protest against a water-sharing deal with neighbouring states. Chautala secured a seat in the 1996 elections and became the Leader of the Opposition. The INLD was formed in 1998, and in 1999, after the Haryana Vikas Party lost its majority, Chautala became Chief Minister for a fourth term.

Chautala served as Chief Minister from December 1989 to May 1990, from July 1990 to July 1990, from March 1991 to April 1991, and finally from July 1999 to March 2005.