Gurugram: After nearly two decades of political decline and internal strife, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is making a determined attempt to revive itself after the death of its patriarch, Om Prakash Chautala.
In a significant move, the party’s parliamentary working committee appointed Abhay Singh Chautala as its national president, signalling a new phase of restructuring and expansion while reviving the party in its parent state, Haryana, by giving its charge to Abhay’s cousin and Dabwali MLA Aditya Devilal.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting attended by senior party leaders on Tuesday in Chandigarh, where the party’s Haryana state president Ramphal Majra said that discussions were held on how to revive the party that ruled the state thrice from 1977 to 1979, 1987 to 1990, and 1999 to 2005.
Om Prakash Chautala’s death in December 2024 was a big setback for the INLD, leaving the party without its patriarchal figure. The leadership transition to his son, Abhay Singh Chautala, is an effort to consolidate the party’s traditional voter base and expand its reach beyond Haryana.
Speaking to The Print, Abhay Chautala acknowledged the immense task ahead, saying party workers had vowed to revive the INLD by reconnecting with grassroots workers and reaching out to leaders who were once close to Om Prakash Chautala.
“There is no opposition in Haryana today. The Congress has been working in cahoots with the BJP, leaving the people upset with the policies of the government in the lurch,” Chautala said.
“People are looking for an alternative that can raise their voice. The INLD would provide that. It is not election time, but still, in the coming days, we will travel across the state, working towards changing the prevailing conditions in Haryana and fostering confidence among the people.”
Abhay Chautala has also emphasised the need to transform the INLD into a national-level party. In this effort, new state presidents have been appointed in multiple regions, including Uttar Pradesh (Samar Pal Choudhary), Madhya Pradesh (Motilal), Rajasthan (Jaiveer Godara), Delhi (Hari Singh Rana), Punjab (S. Gurteg Singh Wander), and Himachal Pradesh (Dr. Virendra Pehal).
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Political decline
Once a dominant force in state politics under the leadership of Om Prakash Chautala, the INLD has been out of power in Haryana since 2005.
The INLD’s political journey has been on a steady decline since the 2009 assembly elections. In 2009, the party won 31 seats in the 90-member Haryana assembly, positioning itself as the main opposition. However, in 2014, it secured only 19 seats as the BJP surged to power with 47 seats.
In 2018, a major split occurred within the party when Dushyant Chautala, grandson of Om Prakash Chautala, broke away to form the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) following a family feud. The JJP went on to align with the BJP after the 2019 assembly elections, securing a role in the state government.
By 2019, following the split that led to the formation of the JJP, the INLD’s fortunes plummeted further, managing to win only one seat. The JJP, in contrast, emerged stronger, winning 10 seats and forming an alliance with the BJP to participate in the state government.
The 2024 assembly elections were another disappointment for the INLD, as the party failed to make any significant gains and could win just two seats—Abhay’s son, Arjun Chautala, won from Rania and his cousin, Aditya Devilal, from Dabwali.
Meanwhile, the JJP’s influence also waned, with the party drawing a blank in 2024 against 10 seats in 2019. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power for an unprecedented third time in the assembly elections.
Devi Lal’s political legacy
The INLD and JJP are not just political parties but with them attached is former deputy PM Devi Lal’s political legacy.
Jyoti Mishra, a research associate at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), however, said that revival of the INLD at this stage wasn’t going to be an easy task.
“2025 is not 2005. During these 20 years, several prominent party leaders have quit the INLD, and many of these are now politically well settled in other parties,” Mishra told ThePrint.
“The split in the INLD in 2018 had further weakened the party. The political base of the INLD has already shifted to other parties like Congress and BJP, particularly in its stronghold districts like Sirsa, Hisar, Jind, Bhiwani, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Nuh and Yamunanagar. Om Prakash Chauatala, when he was alive, tried hard to revive the party, but it didn’t help much,” she added.
As part of the restructuring, the INLD has appointed new office bearers at both the national and state levels. R.S. Choudhary and Sher Singh Badshami have been appointed as senior vice presidents, while Krishna Kumar Jalan, Anju Choudhary and Brigadier O.P. Choudhary will serve as vice presidents.
In Haryana, Pratap Singh has been named principal general secretary, with several new appointments in key positions. The party has also announced new district presidents across Haryana, aiming to strengthen its grassroots presence.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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