Haryana by-elections: Despite being jailed, OP Chautala still enjoys people's support

SIRSA: For normal people, cracks emerging in their homes are a reason to worry, but for Chaudhary Ram Sarup, who flaunts the umpteen crevices that his house has developed, they are a matter of pride. His house suffers the tremors each time a vehicle runs over a speed breaker on a national highway barely few meters away.

But he is unperturbed — the speed breaker highlights the chaudhar (influence) of his village. Speed breakers are not permissible on national highways but this one was built after the villagers complained to the then CM of Haryana, late Chaudhary Devi Lal, about long-route buses not making a halt in their village, fondly recollects Ram Phal, smoking a hookah.

For this chaudhar to remain, the people want Devi Lal’s son OP Chautala to be the next CM. "So what if he is in jail, Chautalaji will take oath inside the jail," says AS Rapria, ex-MD of a cooperative bank.

Chautala is in jail after being convicted in a case of illegally recruiting teachers and is not contesting. But such is the clout of the Chautala family in the area that logic takes a back seat for the supporters of INLD. And each village has a history.

ELLENABAD: A stronghold of the Chautala family. In the last assembly elections, OP Chautala had emerged victorious from here.

CHAUTALA: The birthplace of Chautala, this village has produced several MPs and MLAs, all from INLD. Here, electricity makes only a guest appearance for 3-4 hours a day and there are sanitation and drinking water problems. Ask them about the incarceration of Chautala, and they shout back: "He only gave jobs to poor people without even charging a single penny. What’s wrong with it?"

TEJA KHERA: Devi Lal’s birth place. Last represented in the assembly by Chautala’s son Ajay, who is also in jail, the people of this village take pride in providing India one of its "brave" deputy prime minister (Devi Lal). The village is part of the Dabwali seat, where Ajay’s wife, Naina, is the INLD candidate in these elections.