Now, Chautala bahus cross swords

Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 4

After seeing a prolonged feud between brothers Ajay Chautala and Abhay Chautala over political supremacy, people in Haryana are now going to witness another war of primacy — between two bahus of Chautala clan Naina and Sunaina.

In a bid to counter Ajay Chautala’s wife Naina Chautala, MLA from Dabwali, who has been mobilising women for son Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) through her all-women rallies ‘Hari Chunri Ki Chaupal’, INLD leader Abhay Chautala has now brought in Sunaina Chautala on the political scene.

Sunaina, the 42-year-old wife of Abhay’s cousin Ravi Chautala, was appointed general secretary of the INLD on Monday and she has been tasked with the job of mobilising women for the party.

“She will soon start organising meetings of women across the state. In fact, ‘Hari Chunri Ki Chaupal’ is the name coined by the INLD and no other party should morally use this name. Sunaina, who has been a student leader during her college days, has been given the responsibility of mobilising women for the party,” said Abhay.

Excited over being given this responsibility, Sunaina said she would perform whatever responsibilities are assigned to her by the INLD leadership to her best. “Women comprise almost half the society and their participation in politics is very important. I will work towards mobilising them for the INLD,” said Sunaina Chautala.

Naina Chautala, however, is not perturbed over Sunaina Chautala’s entry in the political arena. “I believe in doing my work and my meetings with women under the banner of ‘Hari Chunri Ki Chaupal’ will continue as before. I look only at my target and don’t focus on what is happening to the right or left. My aim is to strengthen the hands of my sons Dushyant and Digvijay who have launched the JJP after they were shunted out from the INLD,” said Naina Chautala.

Interestingly, both Naina Chautala and Sunaina Chautala have received their education from the same college in Hisar even though 10 years separate the two women. Naina is 52 while Sunaina is 42 years old.

Naina Chautala is a graduate as per her affidavit submitted to the Election Commission at the time of filing of nominations for the Dabwali Assembly segment in 2014. Sunaina, according to her husband Ravi Chautala, has done MA in English literature.

Ravi, a son of INLD patriarch Om Prakash Chautala’s younger brother late Partap Singh Chautala, has always had a sweet and sour relation with his cousins Ajay and Abhay.

In 2014, when Naina Chautala contested from Dabwali constituency in Sirsa of which the clan’s ancestral village Chautala is a part, Ravi campaigned for her as her husband Ajay Chautala was in jail at that time.

Asked whether Sunaina would contest against Naina from Dabwali in the Assembly poll to be held later this year, Ravi Chautala said it depends on the party.