Former Haryana CM Om Prakash Chautala dies at 89

Former Haryana Chief Minister and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Om Prakash Chautala on Friday passed away at the age of 89 at his residence.OP Chautala, a four-time chief minister of Haryana and former deputy prime minister Devi Lal's son, suffered a cardiac arrest at his Gurugram home and was immediately rushed to hospital but could not be saved.Chautala, a seven-time MLA, served as the Chief Minister of Haryana for a record terms, starting in December 1989, with his final term spanning from 1999 to 2005.

VIDEO | Visuals from outside Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. Indian National Lok Dal president and former #Haryana CM Om Prakash Chautala died in Gurugram at the age of 89.

He suffered a cardiac arrest at his home and was immediately rushed to the hospital but could not be saved.… pic.twitter.com/eTtDBcmxJd

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 20, 2024

Chautala remained one of the stalwarts of Indian politics, though his career was also marked by controversies, including a recruitment scam that led to his imprisonment.He was part of both the NDA and the Third Front, which was a coalition of parties formed in 2009 that were neither part of the NDA nor the Congress-led UPA. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1987 and served there until 1990.Born on January 1, 1935, in a village near Sirsa, he was the son of Chaudhary Devi Lal.Chautala was known for his leadership of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), a regional party in Haryana. OP Chautala was released from Tihar Jail in July 2021 after serving nine and a half years of his sentence.
OP Chautala is survived by his two sons, Abhay Singh Chautala and Ajay Singh Chautala, both active in Haryana politics. His grandson, Dushyant Chautala, has served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana and was previously a Member of Parliament from the Hisar constituency.Chautala has faced multiple legal challenges throughout his political career. His troubles began when he was allegedly involved in smuggling watches at the Delhi airport, leading his father, Devi Lal, to publicly disown him.
In January 2013, OP Chautala was sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment at Tihar Jail after being found guilty alongside his elder son, Ajay Chautala, and 53 others on charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy related to the illegal appointment of 3,206 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers.In 2022, Om Prakash Chautala was convicted in a disproportionate assets case filed against him in 2005, marking his second conviction.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences following the passing of former Haryana CM. Taking to X, the Prime Minister wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the demise of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala ji. He was active in state politics for many years and constantly tried to carry forward the work of Chaudhary Devi Lal ji. My deepest condolences to his family and supporters in this hour of grief. 
Expressing his deepest condolences, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that Om Prakash Chautala made a significant contribution to the service of Haryana and the country.
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini paid his humble tribute and wrote, “The demise of INLD supremo and former Chief Minister of Haryana Chaudhary Om Prakash Chautala ji is extremely sad. My humble tribute to him. He served the state and society throughout his life. This is an irreparable loss for the politics of the country and Haryana state. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to give a place to the departed soul in his feet and give strength to the bereaved family to bear this sorrow.