10 family members of three Lals in fray in Haryana elections

For nearly 30 years, three Lals -- Chaudhary Devi Lal, Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal -- ruled Haryana by turns after state was carved out of Punjab in 1966, enjoying immense clout.

At least ten of ir family members are contesting October 21 assembly polls in state amid declining influence of se clans over last 15 years.

In family of former deputy prime minister and ex-chief minister Chaudhary Devi Lal, youngest to enter poll fray is 31-year-old Dushyant Chautala who is contesting from Uchana Kalan against sitting MLA Prem Lata, wife of former Union minister Chaudhary Birender Singh.

Dushyant, a former Hisar MP, is a candidate of Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), a breakaway of Indian National Lok Dal which witnessed spilt in 2018 following a feud in Chautala clan.

Dushyant is great grandson of late Devi Lal.

While two members of Chautala family are JJP candidates, one each is contesting on tickets from INLD and BJP, while one is contesting as an Independent. Five from or two families are fighting on Congress tickets.

Dushyant's mor Naina Chautala is contesting from Bhra constituency on JJP ticket. In 2014 assembly elections, Naina, wife of Ajay Singh Chautala, h won from Dabwali seat on INLD ticket.

INLD leer and sitting MLA Abhay Singh Chautala is in fray from Ellanab again.

Ajay and Abhay are sons of former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and grandsons of Devi Lal.

itya Singh Chautala, son of Jagdish Chautala who is one of four sons of Devi Lal, is fighting from Dabwali assembly constituency on BJP ticket.

Ranjit Singh Chautala, 73, son of late deputy prime minister Devi Lal, has entered electoral fray from Rania as Independent after failing to secure ticket from Congress.

In family of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, his two sons -- Kuldeep Bishi and Chander Mohan -- have filed minations from ampur and Panchkula assembly seats respectively on Congress tickets.

Chander Mohan is a four-time MLA from Kalka seat and former deputy chief minister of Haryana.

From family for former chief minister Bansi Lal, his son 75-year-old Ranbir Singh Mahendra is contesting from Bhra seat on Congress ticket.

Mahendra, who is a former president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is facing JJP minee Naina Chautala as his main rival.

Bansi Lal's daughter-in law Kiran Chaudhary, who is senior Congress leer, has filed her mination from Tosham seat.

Chaudhary is wife of Surender Singh, who died in helicopter crash in 2005. Congress has also fielded Somvir Singh, son-in-law of Bansi Lal, from Loharu seat.

Indian National Lok Dal, founded by Devi Lal, split in 2018 after a bitter power struggle between his two grandsons Ajay Chautala and Abhay Chautala.

feud saw Ajay Chautala and his sons Dushyant and Digvijay being expelled from party by Om Prakash Chautala.

Following 10-year rule of Congress under Bhupinder Singh Hooda and emergence of BJP as a major player in 2014, influence of three families has been confined to ir pocket boroughs.