Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 2

After his release from jail, five-time Chief Minister and INLD patriarch Om Prakash Chautala is eyeing active politics again.

For this, the INLD will formally move the Election Commission (EC) to reduce or waive the six-year ban on Chautala from contesting poll under the Representation of People Act, 1951.

Section 11 of the Act empowers the EC “to reduce or remove disqualification of a convicted leader for reasons to be recorded”. Usually, a leader convicted of corruption is barred from contesting elections for six years after release from jail.

In fact, there was a precedent in 2019 when Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang’s disqualification was sharply reduced to just a year and a month by the EC.

Meanwhile, the Ellenabad Assembly byelection had provided an opportunity to the INLD to move the EC to provide relief to Chautala to contest the polls.

In fact, the former Chief Minister’s son Abhay Chautala had resigned from the Ellenabad Assembly seat to express solidarity with farmers against the three farm laws in January 2021 and bypoll is set to held for this segment in a few months.

“The EC had allowed Tamang to contest the polls only after 13 months after release from jail. If the EC allows Chautala to contest the elections, he would definitely contest from his traditional Ellenabad seat,” INLD secretary-general Abhay Chautala said.

Chautala had made his debut in the Haryana Assembly through a bypoll from Ellenabad in 1970.

Party sources said the end of Chautala’s term would provide the veteran leader an opportunity to devote his full time for the revival of the INLD which is passing through its worst crisis.

“The ongoing farmers’ agitation against farm laws and anti-BJP and JJP sentiments would provide fertile ground for Chautala to revive the INLD which currently does not have any legislators in the Haryana Assembly,” party sources added.

Traffic congestion on expressway

Gurugram: Hundreds of INLD supporters gathered at the Gurugram-Delhi border to welcome party supremo OP Chautala, who was released from the Tihar jail on Friday. The supporters throwing all Covid protocols to the wind stood at the border to welcome Chautala’s cavalcade, leading to major traffic jam on the expressway. Supporters shouted slogans, got on cars and waved INLD flags.

Section 11 may come to Ex-CM’s rescue

• Section 11 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, may come to the rescue of Chautala. The Section empowers the EC to remove or reduce the period of disqualification of a convicted politician
• Usually, there is a bar of six years on convicted politicians to contest polls. In 2019, the EC had reduced Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang’s disqualification period