In the absence of top leadership, INLD's campaign for the upcoming Haryana polls is being spearheaded by its second-rung leaders, who are elated after the party won two seats in the recent Lok Sabha polls under their command.
INLD president and former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and his MLA-son and senior leader Ajay Singh Chautala are currently serving prison term in connection with a scam in recruitment of Junior Basic Teachers (JBT) in the state about 14 years back.
It will be an acid test for second-rung leaders of the main opposition party in the next month's Haryana Assembly polls.
While these leaders managed to create some impression in the last Lok Sabha polls as the INLD managed to win two seats in the state despite a "Modi wave", however, the state polls are a different ball game altogether, as local issues also play a part.
Apart from this, like the Congress, the INLD too has faced desertions ahead of the polls, with some of its leaders including Krishan Pawar and Nafe Singh switching over to the BJP camp.
The party's poll campaign is being spearheaded by its leaders, including Abhay Singh Chautala (53), state unit chief Ashok Arora, Devi Lal's great grandsons--Dushyant and Digvijay.
According to political pundits, in the absence of its senior leaders, the focus has shifted on INLD's second rung leaders as the party is looking to reverse its losing trend after having lost two Assembly polls (2005 and 2009) in a row.
The silver lining for the party has been victory in two Lok Sabha seats this year-- Sirsa (SC) and Hisar -- where party candidates defeated strong candidates and sitting MPs.
