Satish Handa, April 1
None of the young generation of prominent political leaders three ‘Lal’ in Haryana state Ch. Devi Lal, Ch. Bansi Lal and Ch. Bhajan Lal ruled over in Haryana state in past three decades between the years 1970 to 2000 could preserve their political power after death. There was a time when politics was rotating around Ch. Devi Lal and conflict was seen in the family when he was alive but his son Om Parkash Chautala former Chief Minister Haryana was able to control his Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) party. Unfortunately, Chautala’s family after he was sentenced imprisonment in the jail along with his elder son Ajay Chautala failed to retain family’s political power. Clash between families of both sons Ajay Chautala and Abahay Chautala severely damaged INLD when Ajay Chautala’s sons Dushyant a sitting MP launched a new political party Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) along with Digvijay on the directions of Ajay Chautala lodged in Tihar jail at Delhi and mother Naina Devi also an MLA thus dividing INLD in two groups and large number of party MLAs as well as prominent workers were divided in different parties thus weakening INLD.
Rift was also seen in the family of former Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal after his death but the same was not for political power but for property still continues between the elder son Ranbir Mohinder and Kiran Choudhary wife of Surinder Singh a former minister lost life in air crash in 2004. Bansi Lal also died soon after the death of his son. Kiran Choudhary is a senior Congress leader as well as a legislator in Haryana Vidhan Sabha in the state and also a former minister in the state and her daughter Shruti won Lok Sabha polls from Bhiwani constituency in 2009 but lost her seat in previous Lok Sabha polls in 2014.
Sources reveal that rift also exists between Kuldeep Bishnoi and Chander Mohan sons of former Chief Minister in the state Bhajan Lal a former Deputy Chief Minister but he was expelled from Congress when got married to a Muslim woman. Chander Mohan was near and dear to father when he was Chief Minister in the state and the younger son Kuldeep Bishnoi launched separate political party after Bhajan Lal Lost Chief Minister’s chair after2005 Vidhan Sabha polls. After father’s death Kuldeep Bishnoi succeeded in winning Lok Sabha seat from Hisar and later lost polls after having alliance break with BJP and emerged his own party into Congress when both Kuldeep Bishnoi as well as his wife won Vidhan Sabha polls.