The agrarian backbone of a state built on the Green Revolution

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In Haryana, where nearly 40% of the workforce is tied to the land, politics is inseparable from the soil. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) serves as a primary vehicle for this rural identity, championing the rights of the Jat farmers who transformed India into an agricultural powerhouse.

The INLD's political DNA is rooted in the agrarian landscape of Haryana, a state carved out on November 1, 1966. The region was formed to satisfy demands for both a Punjabi-speaking province and a Hindi-speaking 'Greater Haryana.' Today, it remains an agriculturally prosperous hub, contributing massive quantities of wheat and rice to India's national food repository. This productivity is largely a legacy of the Green Revolution launched in the 1960s, which introduced large-scale investments in high-quality seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation systems.

The party was founded by Devi Lal, a former Deputy Prime Minister who first established the Bharatiya Lok Dal in 1974. It underwent several transitions, including a period as the Lok Dal (LKD) before rebranding to its current name in 1998. The party is currently led by Abhay Singh Chautala, grandson of Devi Lal. Its core identity is defined by regionalism and a centrist ideology, specifically advocating for farmers' rights and rural development within the traditional Jat heartland.

Despite its deep roots, the INLD has faced significant electoral hurdles on the national stage. Since 1998, it has performed below expectations in four successive general elections. Even when forming alliances with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) between 1998 and 2004, or again in 2009, the party failed to secure any seats in the Lok Sabha during those cycles. Its influence remains most potent at the state level, where it navigates the complex dynamics of a region where Jats form the backbone of both the economy and the armed forces.

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