HC order a blow for Chautala, INLD

The Delhi High Court order Friday directing Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Om Prakash Chautala to surrender at Tihar jail has come as a blow to the former Haryana chief minister and the INLD.

Chautala, who was out on bail in recent months on health grounds and was addressing political rallies since late last month in violation of the bail conditions, has been asked to surrender at Tihar jail Saturday. The high court also directed him to stop addressing political rallies.

The high court order has come as a blow to the INLD which had been gaining political ground in recent days for the Oct 15 assembly elections in Haryana. The crowds at INLD rallies had started swelling ever since Chautala started addressing them. He addressed dozens of rallies across Haryana in the past fortnight.

The former chief minister is serving a 10-year prison term after his conviction in a teachers' recruitment scam by a CBI court in Delhi in January last year. He was later granted bail by the Delhi High Court after he pleaded that he was undergoing medical treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon.

The high court order came on a petition filed by an individual who pointed out that Chautala was blatantly violating bail conditions. The CBI also pleaded before the court that Chautala's bail be cancelled.

All 90 assembly seats in Haryana go to polls Oct 15. The results will be known Oct 19.

The main fight is between the ruling Congress, the BJP and the main opposition INLD.