Dushyant Chautala to fight from his grandfather's seat

CHANDIGARH: The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has decided to field Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala -- perceived as a youth icon -- from his grandfather former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala's constituency of Uchana.
Dushyant's main opponent would be BJP's Prem Lata, wife of Birender Singh, former Congress stalwart who joined the saffron party recently.
Name of the youngest Lok Sabha MP figured in the party's list of seven candidates released on Tuesday evening.
Dushyant's mother Naina Singh will contest from the Dabawali assembly seat, held by her husband Ajay Chautala, and wife of senior party leader Sher Singh Badshami from the Ladwa constituency of Kurukshetra.
Om Prakash Chautala, Ajay Chautala and Sher Singh Badshami are behind bar in the teachers recruitment scam. However, judgment on their appeal against conviction is awaited from Delhi high court.
According to sources, party has decided to cash in Dushyant's popularity, and to present him as frontrunner in party's second line of leadership after the conviction of party's top leaders.
As of now, senior INLD leader, Abhay Chautala is the only member of Chautala party family to lead the party, if voted to power.
While talking to TOI, Dushyant said that he was told by his grandfather to prepare for the state assembly elections from Uchana seat three months back. "I will be my grandfather's representative and will vacate the seat whenever he comes out," said Dushyanat.
Dushyant rubbished reports about a rift in the party's second line of leadership as propaganda by the opposition.
"It was my uncle Abhay Chautala who worked tirelessly to ensure my victory in the parliamentary polls," Dushyant pointed out. He said the poll battle would have been more interesting if Birender Singh had been the BJP nominee.
Why he was fielded
To maintain party's hold in Jat heartland of Jind, where the party won all 5 seats in 2009 elections.
To weaken influence of Jat leader Birender Singh who recently joined BJP
To send out a message that Dushyant could be in the second line of leadership in the absence of his jailed grandfather and father and that Abhay is not the only option
To win over youth in favour of INLD in the assembly polls