Former CM of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala’s life was a tale of a rollercoaster ride. He will be remembered for the ups and downs in his political life. Born to stalwart leader Ch. Devilal, Chautala went on to hold the most important political office of the state many times and later had to see the floor of the prison too.

He was born on January 1, 1935. He served as the Chief Minister of Haryana five times. After completing his early education, Chautala dropped out of school. In 2021, during the teacher recruitment scam when Chautala was imprisoned in Tihar Jail, he passed the 10th and 12th grade exams at the age of 86.

Also Read - Haryana BJP incharge Satish Poonia Biography

Chautala held the position of Chief Minister of Haryana in multiple terms: from December 1989 to May 1990, again from July 12, 1990, to July 17, 1990, then from March 22, 1991, to April 5, 1991, from July 24, 1999, to March 2, 2000 & finally from March 2, 2000 to March 5 ,2005

First Assembly Election – 1968

He fought his first assembly election from Ellenabad in 1968. It was considered as a seat of Devilal so his victory was considered sure shot. However, Chautala lost his first election because of this. However, Chautala did not conceded defeat and challenged the result in the court of law. The court later annulled the membership of the elected MLA Lalchand. In 1970, during a by-election, Chautala contested on the Janata Dal ticket and won, becoming a Member of the Legislative Assembly.

Actively took part in Nayaya Yudh -1986

On March 23, 1986, a massive rally was organized in Hisar by his father Ch. Devilal who made a strong appeal for justice and fairness for the farmers. This protest became one of the major milestones in Haryana’s political history, significantly enhancing Devi Lal's stature as a leader of the rural masses and a champion of their rights. The movement also saw Chautala in an active role shouldering key responsibilities.

First time CM in December 1989

When Chaudhary Devi Lal was sworn in as the Deputy Prime Minister in the National Front coalition government led by VP Singh in December 1989, he stepped down as Haryana's Chief Minister and chose his son, Om Prakash Chautala, to succeed him. Chautala who was a RS member had to come MLA in 6 months & he decided to contest the elections from Meham.

Also Read- List of Prime Ministers of India -1947 to 2024

However, Anand Singh Dangi, who was once a trusted lieutenant of Devi Lal, challenged this decision. Dangi had been a loyal supporter of Devi Lal and, at the time, was a key figure in the Janata Dal. He sought the support of the ‘Meham Chaubeesi’, a historic khap panchayat in the region. While the khap had previously backed Devi Lal in three of his successful elections in Meham, this time it chose to support Dangi.

On February 27, 1990, voting took place in Meham, but it was marred by violence and booth capturing. Since the state's Chief Minister was contesting the election, the media, both domestic and international, closely followed the event. Allegations of election fraud made headlines. The Election Commission ordered re-voting at eight polling booths.

However, when re-voting occurred, violence erupted once again. As a result, the Election Commission annulled the election altogether. A lot of political issue was created then in Parliament by Congress party which was then led by Rajiv Gandhi which ultimately led to Chautala resigning as CM after around 5 months.

JBT recruitment controversy

Although Chautala made significant contributions to state politics, his career was overshadowed by controversies. In 2013, he was convicted in the JBT Teacher Recruitment Scam and sentenced to ten years in prison. While this conviction severely damaged his reputation, it did not diminish his influence within the INLD or among his supporters.