Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is a political party based primarily in the Indian state of Haryana. It was initially founded as the Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) by Devi Lal in 1996, who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of India.
On 27 January 2021, Abhay Singh Chautala had resigned as the only MLA from the party citing the BJP-led Union government’s refusal to accept farmers’ demands.[2] He was later re-elected from the Ellenabad constituency in a bypoll election on 2 November 2021.[3]
INLD Students Organization (ISO) is the official student wing of INLD. Shri Arjun Chautala is the national Incharge and Adv Raman Dhaka is the Secretary General of ISO.[5]
Chaudhary Devi Lal, following his triumph in the election for the Rori constituency to the Haryana Legislative Assembly in 1974, established the Bharatiya Lok Dal. Subsequently, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) emerged in 1987 after the assembly election. The electoral battles of 1982 and 1987 were waged under the banner of Lok Dal (LKD), marking a transitional phase for the party. Notably, in 1998, the party underwent a rebranding, adopting its current name.
The party's political affiliations saw it become a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Consequently, it contributed to the governance helmed by the Bharatiya Janata Party from 1998 to 2004 on the federal stage.
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has faced a series of electoral setbacks, notably performing below expectations in each of the four successive general elections conducted since 1998.[6] It has experienced a string of defeats in the Haryana assembly elections, facing losses in the years 2005, 2009, and 2014. Moreover, despite forming an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2009, the party encountered disappointment by failing to secure any seats in the Lok Sabha during both the 2004 and 2009 general elections.[7]
During the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, the INLD forged an electoral alliance with the BJP in Haryana. Each party contested five out of the ten seats in the state, resulting in a clean sweep with all ten candidates securing victories. Subsequently, in 2000, Chautala clinched his fifth term as the Chief Minister of Haryana. The INLD exhibited strong performance in the state assembly elections, securing 47 out of the 90 available seats. However, following this success, the party opted to sever ties with the BJP, consequently departing from both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the government. The 2004 electoral contest saw the party vying for 20 Lok Sabha seats across Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Chandigarh. Unfortunately, a majority of these candidates, numbering 14, failed to retain their deposits. Specifically, in Haryana, the INLD's 10 candidates managed to secure 22.43% of the votes. Meanwhile, in Rajasthan, 5 candidates garnered 0.52% of the votes, 4 candidates in Uttar Pradesh secured a mere 0.02%, and the sole candidate in Chandigarh amassed 6.61% of the votes.[8]
In the subsequent 2005 Haryana state assembly elections, the INLD faced a substantial setback, losing its majority by securing only 9 out of the 90 available seats. This marked a significant decline compared to the Congress party's sweeping victory, clinching 67 seats during the same electoral contest. [9] In 2009, the INLD won 31 seats.[10]
On 27 January 2021, Abhay Singh Chautala had resigned as the only MLA from the party citing the BJP-led Union government’s refusal to accept farmers’ demands.[2] He was later re-elected from the Ellenabad constituency in a bypoll election on 2 November 2021.[3]
On 25 February 2024, preceding the 2024 Indian general election, Haryana INLD State Vice-President, Nafe Singh Rathee was shot dead by unidentified gunmen who ambushed his SUV in the Jhajjar district. Rathee and his associates were inside the vehicle when the men, who came in a car, opened fire, and fled. Another party leader who was travelling with him also died while two others were critically injured. [22]
In July 2024, before the 2024 Haryana Legislative Assembly election, INLD decided to contest elections in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), where the latter will contest 27 seats and the former shall contest the rest.[24] The party managed to win two seats, one more than last time.
