Ahead of Son Dushyant Chautala's Oath, Ajay Chautala Gets A Break From Tihar

Jannayak Janta Party leader Dushyant Chautala's father Ajay Chautala, who was in Tihar jail after his conviction in a teachers recruitment scam, was released from jail this morning on a two-week parole. Dushyant Chautala will take oath today as the Deputy Chief Minister in the Haryana government led by ML Khattar.

The ceremony will be held at the Raj Bhavan at 2.15 pm, during which Mr Khattar and Dushyant Chautala will take oath.  

The BJP, which won 40 seats in Haryana, has entered a deal with Dushyant Chautala's Jannayak Janta Party or JJP, which won 10 seats in the recently concluded assembly elections. It was formalised at a meeting between the JJP chief and BJP president Amit Shah on Friday night after two days of frenzied negotiations.

Seven independent MLAs have also extended support to the BJP, helping it reach a tally of 57 seats in the 90-member house.

The alliance staked claim to form government yesterday at a meeting with Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya.

Ajay Chuatala, 57, had been in jail along with his father and former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala since January 2013. Both are serving a 10-year sentence for illegally recruiting 3,206 junior basic teachers 18 years ago. They were accused of tampering with the selection lists and admitting candidates in exchange for kickbacks.

The court had refused pleas for leniency in view of Om Prakash Chautala's age - he was 78 years old at the time.  

While in jail, the feud in the Chautala family had escalated. Ajay Chautala's brother Abhay Chautala has accused him and his sons of playing into the hands of the BJP and weakening the party.  

Initially, Dushyant Chautala and his brother Digvijay Chautala were expelled for anti-party activities. Later, Om Prakash Chautala expelled Ajay Chautala in November last year.

After his expulsion, Dushyant Chautala had formed the JJP.

"Dushyant has established the organisation in just 11 months along with the party workers. A son is known by his father's name only. The efforts taken by the party workers have flourished today on an auspicious occasion," Ajay Chautala was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

"Dushyant does not take any decision before taking my advice and when he met me before forming the alliance, I gave my nod for the same," he added.

(With inputs from ANI)