As the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana draw close, tensions are palpable in political corridors. Not only are different political parties fighting for dominance, but members of a prominent political family in the state are now going head to head.
Members of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal’s family have taken to heated verbal attacks against each other. Three generations of the clan have made a mark in Haryana’s political spheres for years. As many as five MLAs who managed to win seats in the 2019 polls hail from the Devi Lal family including Ranjit Singh, Dushyant Chautala, Naina Chautala, Amit Sihag, and Abhay Chautala from Ranian, Uchana, Bhadra, Dabwali and Ellenabad seats respectively. The Chautala family has been splintered into several camps for some time now.
Of Chaudhary Devi Lal’s four sons, Om Prakash Chautala, Pratap Chautala, Ranjit Singh Chautala and Jagdish Chautala, the eldest Om Prakash was chosen as the political heir. This move annoyed his brother, Ranjit, causing fractures in the family. Both Om Prakash and Ranjit Chautala are still active fixtures in the political landscape of the state.
Recently, Om Prakash’s son Abhay Chautala left no stone unturned to attack his uncle Ranjit during a Parivartan Yatra in Bani village of Raniya. “How will a person who could not maintain their relationship with the late Chaudhary Devi Lal take care of the interests of the people? It is the responsibility of the government and its representatives to work for creating an atmosphere of brotherhood in the state and the locality, but here such people have been elected who are engaged in breaking brotherhood,” Abhay said.
In response, Ranjit asserted his claim as Chaudhary Devi Lal’s son, despite the decision to declare Om Prakash as the political heir. It is pertinent to mention that the BJP offered Ranjit Chautala a position in the Haryana cabinet with important portfolios, despite being an Independent. While Ranjit Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala are on good terms, the JJP faction’s split from the INLD led to bad blood between the families of Abhay and Ajay Chautala, who have gone head to head on many issues. The fierce tussle between Abhay and Dushyant continues to lead to a political ruckus in the state.