Young Chautalas plan party makeover, eye social media

Faced with the toughest battle for political survival, the predominantly rural family of former deputy Prime Minister late Devi Lal has decided to go in for a complete image makeover. Aurangzeb Naqshbandi reports.

Faced with the toughest battle for political survival, the predominantly rural family of former deputy Prime Minister late Devi Lal has decided to go in for a complete image makeover.

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With their father and grandfather both in jail, following their conviction in a case of corruption, the Gen-Next of Chautalas has virtually taken over the reins of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).

Dushyant and Digvijay -both sons of Ajay Chautala - have launched a special campaign to win over the youth of Haryana by their planned foray into social media.

They have also started a Congress-type 'war room' in Gurgaon where all electoral strategies will be drawn up. Though their uncle Abhay Chautala is holding fort at the moment, the two brothers have divided different districts of the state among themselves.

"We have already launched pol khol campaign and student parliament across Haryana," said Digvijay.

The INLD had drawn a blank in two successive general elections in 2004 and 2009 and has been out of power in the state since eight years. The party's new faces now hope to reverse the fortunes in the 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly elections. The party is banking on the sympathy factor to bring itself back to power.