Former Haryana CM Om Prakash Chautala dies
Gurugram (PTI): Indian National Lok Dal president and five-time Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala died here on Friday at the age of 89.
Chautala, who was former deputy prime minister Devi Lal's son, suffered a cardiac arrest at his house here and was immediately rushed to a hospital but could not be saved, a party spokesperson told PTI.
He breathed his last at around 12 noon in Medanta hospital, a senior police officer said.
Chautala, who came from a prominent political family in Haryana and was the face of a prominent regional outfit, had been facing age-related health issues in the recent past.
He is survived by two sons and three daughters. His wife Sneh Lata had passed away over five years ago.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini were among a host of leaders who condoled the demise of Chautala.
Expressing grief, Modi said on X, "He (Chautala) was active in the state politics for many years and strove constantly to advance the work of Devi Lal."
Saini said the demise of the INLD supremo 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,” Saini said on X.
Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda recalled that when Chautala was the chief minister, he was the Leader of Opposition in the Haryana assembly.
Chautala served the people of the state. There are many good memories with him, he said, adding that he was like his elder brother.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Hooda and Kumari Seja also condoled the death of Chautala.
Born on January 1, 1935, Om Prakash Chautala was the eldest of the five children of former deputy prime minister Chaudhary Devi Lal.
Chautala left studies after primary education. In 2013, when Chautala was lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with the teacher recruitment scam, he passed the Class 10 and then Class 12 examination at the age of 82.
He was jailed in 2013 in connection with the teacher recruitment scam case and released in 2021.
Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala, and 53 others, including IAS officer Sanjiv Kumar, were convicted and sentenced in the case of illegal recruitment of 3,206 junior basic teachers in 2000.
The former Haryana chief minister's younger son Abhay Singh Chautala is a senior leader of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) while the elder one Ajay Singh Chautala, a former MP, heads the Jannayak Janta Party, which was born after a vertical split in the party in December 2018 after a family feud.
Abhay's son Arjun is a Haryana MLA while Ajay Chautala's sons Dushyant and Digvijay are JJP leaders. Dushyant Chautala also served as Haryana's Deputy Chief Minister.
Chautala's party INLD had also remained an ally of the BJP in the past. The INDL has been out of power since 2005 in Haryana.
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Karnataka: GBA city corporation polls likely between June 14 and 24
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka State Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi on Friday said elections to the five city corporations under the GBA will be held anytime between June 14 and June 24.
He said the exact date for the polls will be announced after a week, asserting that the power to postpone the elections, as requested by GBA authorities, lies with the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had directed the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission to conduct Bengaluru local body elections by June 30.
On Friday, the SEC held a consultation meeting with the GBA Chief Commissioner and commissioners of the five city corporations regarding the election schedule, as per the provisions of the GBA Act.
“During the meeting, I informed GBA officials that only the election date has to be fixed, as all other measures and formalities for conducting the polls have already been completed,” Sangreshi said.
“They requested the Commission to consider factors such as rains, exams, census work, SIR, and manpower shortages while fixing the date and sought additional time,” he added.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, “I told them this meeting was not for seeking time. Elections to the five corporations under the GBA must be held before June 30, as directed by the Supreme Court, and a compliance report must be submitted to the court. I do not have the power to postpone the elections as requested.”
The Supreme Court has already given a “final opportunity,” and both the SEC and the government must comply with its directions, the State Election Commissioner said.
He asked GBA officials to suggest suitable dates between June 14 and June 24.
“While stating that they are ready for elections, the officials highlighted operational challenges, including manpower shortages. However, I have informed them that the elections will have to be held between June 14 and June 24. After a week, I will announce the final date,” he said.
Reiterating that he does not have the power to postpone the elections, Sangreshi said the authority rests with the Supreme Court, and elections must be conducted as scheduled.
“We have consulted the GBA as per the rules. It is up to them to suggest a date within the given window. If they need more time, they must approach the court. Our responsibility is to fix the date and complete the polls before June 30,” he said.
The matter regarding manpower and other concerns raised by GBA officials is already before the Supreme Court, and the State Election Commission has also filed a petition in this regard. The case is yet to be heard.
“Since the matter has not come up for hearing, the earlier order remains binding. Therefore, preparations are underway,” he added.
The tenure of the previous elected body under the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ended on September 10, 2020, and since then, a government-appointed administrator has been managing its day-to-day affairs.
Bengaluru was divided into five municipal corporations—Central, East, West, North, and South—under the Greater Bengaluru Authority in September 2025, replacing the BBMP.
Sangreshi had earlier said that elections to the five corporations would be conducted using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines.
This follows the Congress government’s decision last September to recommend the use of ballot papers in all future panchayat and urban local body elections, citing concerns over declining public confidence in EVMs.
The state government subsequently enacted the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Act, 2026, paving the way for the use of ballot papers in local body elections.
