Former Haryana Chief Minister and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supremo Om Prakash Chautala has died aged 89.
He passed away at his residence in Gurugram following a cardiac arrest. Despite being rushed to hospital, doctors were unable to save him.
Chautala, a five-time Chief Minister of Haryana, was the eldest son of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal.
Born into a Jat family in Dabwali, Sirsa district, Chautala first assumed office as Chief Minister on 2 December 1989.
He served for six months before being sworn in again two months later, only to step down within five days. His third tenure came in 1991 but lasted just two weeks due to the imposition of President’s Rule. He later served two consecutive terms from 1999 to 2005.
After the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, he founded the Haryana Lok Dal (National) party, which gained recognition after an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) secured five seats in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections. The party was later renamed the Indian National Lok Dal.
In 2013, Chautala was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in a scam concerning the appointment of junior basic teachers in Haryana during 1999–2000. He was released from Tihar Jail in July 2021.
Tributes have poured in for the veteran leader following news of his death.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini offered his condolences on Chautala's passing.
Former Haryana CM and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh, saying ,'He served people'.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his condolences on Chautala's demise.
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