INLD plans to field Chautala Sr from Uchana Kalan if EC permits

Tribune News Service

Hisar, July 11

With the Assembly elections more than a year away, the tussle for the Uchana Kalan Assembly segment in Jind further intensified, with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) announcing the possible candidature of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala from this segment.

The INLD leader and MLA from the Ellenabad segment in Sirsa district, Abhay Singh Chautala, said today that the party would field the former CM from Uchana Kalan in the next Assembly elections. “The party will approach the Election Commission for permission to the former CM to contest the election. He will be the party’s chief ministerial candidate,” he said.

With JJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala representing this segment in the Haryana Assembly, the INLD’s decision is likely to pit Chautala Sr opposite his grandson (Dushyant) in Uchana Kalan. Besides, the BJP leader Prem Lata, wife of former Union Minister Birender Singh, is likely to contest from this segment. While Dushyant had already announced his candidature, BJP’s Haryana in-charge Biplab Deb, too, had hinted the candidature of Prem Lata on the BJP ticket.

Abhay, however, said in case the senior Chautala did not get permission to contest the poll, the INLD would not let down the people of Uchana Kalan. Giving a hint that he himself could be the candidate from Uchana Kalan, the INLD leader said: “In case of a legal hitch, the party will field a chief ministerial face from this segment,” he said.

Former CM Chautala was awarded 10-year jail term in January 2013 by a Delhi court along with his son Ajay Singh Chautala in the JBT recruitment scam. He was released from the jail in July 2021 after serving his prison term. However, the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, has the provision of barring any leader convicted for corruption from contesting elections for six years after the release. Chautala was again convicted and sentenced to four years jail in May 2022. Later, Delhi High Court suspended his sentence and also granted bail to the veteran leader in the case.

Hot seat

• Uchana Kalan is turning out to be a hot seat as sitting MLA Dushyant Chautala has a potential opponent in his grandfather Om Prakash Chautala on INLD ticket, besides BJP’s Prem Lata, who has traditional base in the segment
• OP Chautala had contested and defeated Birender Singh (who had won from here five times as Congress candidate) in 2009 by a margin of about 600 votes
• Though Birender's wife Prem Lata (as BJP candidate) defeated the then INLD candidate Dushyant Chautala in 2014, she lost to Dushyant in 2019

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