War of succession intensifies in INLD ahead of 2019 polls

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), a 22-year-old party, can well be described as a privately owned one belonging to the family of late Haryana patriarch and former chief minister Devi Lal. He was also the deputy prime minister of India briefly during the V.P. Singh government. The party is a force to reckon with in Haryana, and has also won a few seats in the contiguous areas in neighbouring Rajasthan. 

As it is a closely held party, all its troubles have been internal—generally brothers feuding with each other to inherit their father's political mantle and legacy. Among Devi Lal's four sons, former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and Ranjit Singh fought a bitter battle of succession. The father handpicked Chautala and crowned him the president of the INLD. Now, a jailed Chautala has taken a decision which is as much a matter of settling the succession issue, as of choosing the family member who will lead the party in the elections in 2019, when both the Lok Sabha and the Haryana legislative polls are due. 

Om Prakash Chautala dissolved the party's youth and student wings on October 10, after a noisy showdown at a rally in Gohana on October 7. There are speculations that he might take action against his grandson Dushyant Singh Chautala, who is now a senior party leader and MP from Hisar.

Om Prakash Chautala said the two wings of the party “are found to be lacking in discipline and commitment to the ideals of the party”. An INLD press note said, “The youth wing failed to play its role during the October 7 Gohana rally and the INSO (Indian National Students Organisation) was found indulging in blatant anti-party activities”.

Apparently, Dushyant's supporters hailed him at the rally and hooted down his paternal uncle Abhay Chautala—leader of the opposition in Haryana and younger son of Om Prakash Chautala. 

The youth and student wing office-bearers, who now find themselves without any office, feared that Om Prakash Chautala might also take action against Dushyant's brother, Digvijay, who was the president of the dissolved INSO. Dushyant and Digvijay are sons of Ajay Singh Chautala, the elder son of Om Prakash Chautala. 

Ajay Chautala and his father were sentenced to a 10-year jail term in 2013 in a scam involving the illegal recruitment of teachers in the state. The Supreme Court upheld the sentence in 2015 and both are still serving their jail term. Abhay Chautala and his nephew Dushyant have been managing the party affairs since 2013.

The jail term of the Chautalas notwithstanding, Dushyant has constantly invoked his father's contribution to the growth of the INLD. Digvijay maintained that only Ajay Chautala, as founder of the INSO, could dissolve the organisation. Dushyant has told his supporters that he will respond to any notice he receives, and cautioned them to refrain from saying anything against his grandfather.

Ironically, it is not as if Ajay and Abhay are at daggers drawn. Party sources felt “strong anti-vibes” between Abhay Chautala and his nephew Dushyant, who have been leading campaigns on behalf of the jailed Chautalas. And by disbanding the youth and students wings which were in the control of Dushyant and Digvijay, Om Prakash Chautala has chosen to throw his weight behind his son Abhay, and not grandson Dushyant, ahead of the elections in 2019.