Bhajan Lal

The Congress leader and the former Haryana Chief Minister ruled the state for 13 years but has lately fallen into bad times.

There was a time when Haryana was the battle field of the warring Lal triumvirate of Devi Lal, Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal. The Congress leader and the former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal ruled the state for 13 years, but has lately fallen into bad times.

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He was born on 6 October 1930 at Koranwali in district Bahawalpur, which is now in Pakistan, and had his education there. He cut his teeth in politics at grass root level and in 1968 became a member of Haryana Legislative Assembly and got re elected for three more times.

In 1970 he became a state Cabinet Minister and in 1979 rose to become the Chief Minister and Congress Legislature Party chief. His stint with national politics began in 1986 when he entered the Rajya Sabha and was immediately inducted in Rajiv Gandhi's Cabinet as Minister for Environment and Forests, which soon gave way to the crucial Agriculture portfolio. He was also a member of the Planning Commission.

In the present scenario, Bhajan Lal is on a sticky wicket and the problem is in-build. The Haryana Congress, which is still heads, is fraction-ridden, and there are reports that Bhajan Lal is displeased with the attempts to sidelined him. His detractors in the party, including Jai Prakash who is a former Chautala man, are alleged to have more say in choosing candidates for the forthcoming polls.