{{short description|Indian politician}} {{Use Indian English|date=September 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Abhay Singh Chautala | image = Abhay Singh Chautala (cropped).jpg | image_size = | small = | order = | office = Member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly | term_start = 24 January 2010 | term_end = 8 October 2024 | predecessor = Om Prakash Chautala | successor = Bharat Singh Beniwal | office1 = Leader of Opposition <br/> Haryana Legislative Assembly | office2 = 10th President of Indian Olympic Association | term_start2 = 5 December 2012

| | term_end2 = 9 February 2014 | predecessor2 = Vijay Kumar Malhotra (acting president) | successor2 = Narayana Ramachandran | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1963|02|14}} | birth_place = Chautala, Punjab, India<br/>(now in Haryana, India) | death_date = | death_place = | party = Indian National Lok Dal | father = Om Prakash Chautala | mother = | spouse = {{Marriage|Supriya|March 1987|11 November 1988|reason=died}}<br/>Kanta Chautala | relations = Chaudhary Devi Lal (grandfather) <br/> Ajay Singh Chautala (brother) <br/> Dushyant Chautala (nephew) | children = 2, including Arjun Chautala | alma_mater = | occupation = Politician | signature = | website = | footnotes = | constituency = Ellenabad | successor1 = Kiran Choudhry | term_start1 = October 2014 | term_end1 = March 2019<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/abhay-chautala-resigns-as-leader-of-opposition-in-haryana-assembly-2011916?amp=1&akamai-rum=off |title = Abhay Chautala Resigns as Leader of Opposition in Haryana Assembly}}</ref> | predecessor1 = Om Prakash Chautala | office7 = President of the<br/>Indian National Lok Dal | term_start7 = 25 March 2025 | predecessor7 = Om Prakash Chautala }}

'''Abhay Singh Chautala''' (born 14 February 1963) is an Indian politician. He was a member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly from Ellenabad. He served as Leader of the Opposition in Haryana Legislative Assembly from 2014 to 2019. He has been elected to the Haryana Legislative Assembly for four terms since 2010. He served as the 10th president of Indian Olympic Association. He also served as president of the Boxing Federation of India. He is grandson of Devi Lal, former deputy prime minister of India. He is the current president of Indian National Lok Dal.<ref name="Profile">{{Cite web |date=17 July 2018 |title=Abhay Singh Chautala |url=https://haryanaassembly.gov.in/mla-details/?id=53366 |access-date=21 April 2022 |website=haryanaassembly.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=2 November 2021 |title=Haryana bypolls: INLD's Abhay Chautala wins Ellenabad Assembly seat, BJP gives close fight |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/haryana-bypolls-inld-abhay-chautala-wins-ellenabad-assembly-seat-1872648-2021-11-02 |access-date=21 April 2022 |work=India Today |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=11 May 2001 |title=The Jat patriarch |url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1809/18091200.htm |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315234640/http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1809/18091200.htm |archive-date=15 March 2014 |work=Frontline}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Raj Pal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7tJHAAAAMAAJ&q=Lekh+Ram+sihag |title=Devi Lal, the man of the masses |publisher=Veenu Printers and Publications |year=1988}}</ref>

== Early life and education == Chautala was born on 14 February 1963 in Chautala village of Sirsa district in the Indian state of Haryana. He studied at S.M. Hindu Senior Secondary School, Sonipat. He did Bachelor of Arts from Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University. He has represented the state eight times in the national volleyball championship and won numerous medals.<ref name="Profile"/><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G0Z457ZOR44C&pg=PA241 |title=History of Sirsa Town |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distri |year=1991}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Abhay Chautala Biography - About Family, Political life, News and Updates |url=https://www.elections.in/delhi/ |website=Elections in India}}</ref>

==Political career== Chautala started his political career by getting elected as Upsarpanch (Deputy Sarpanch) of Chautala village. His notable ascent in the political arena came to the forefront in the year 2000 when he helped his father to clinch victory from Haryana's Rori Assembly constituency under the banner of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).<ref name=":0" />

In 2005, Chautala became the president of the District Council of Sirsa. In 2010, he emerged victorious in the Ellenabad Assembly constituency by-election following the arrest of his father, Om Prakash Chautala and his brother, Ajay Singh Chautala.

After securing re-election as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in 2014, Chautala assumed the role of the Leader of Opposition within the Haryana Legislative Assembly. During the 2014 Indian general elections, Chautala guided the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) to secure 2 Lok Sabha seats amidst a formidable electoral surge favouring the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party wave.

On 27 January 2021, Chautala resigned as the sole MLA from the party citing the BJP-led Union government’s refusal to accept farmers’ demands.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 January 2021 |title=INLD MLA Abhay Chautala resigns from Haryana Assembly over farm laws |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/inld-mla-abhay-chautala-resigns-from-haryana-assembly-over-farm-laws-7163880/ |access-date=2 December 2023 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref name="resigned">{{cite news |date=27 January 2021 |title=Lone INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala resigns from Haryana Assembly over farm laws |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/lone-inld-mla-abhay-singh-chautala-resigns-from-haryana-assembly-over-farm-laws/article33676078.ece |access-date=29 January 2021}}</ref> He was later re-elected from the Ellenabad constituency in a bypoll election on 2 November 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Haryana bypolls: INLD's Abhay Chautala wins Ellenabad Assembly seat, BJP gives close fight |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/haryana-bypolls-inld-abhay-chautala-wins-ellenabad-assembly-seat-1872648-2021-11-02 |access-date=2 December 2023 |website=India Today |date=2 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Chautala lost the seat to Bharat Singh Beniwal of the Indian National Congress in the 2024 Haryana Legislative Assembly election.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ellenabad Assembly Election: Abhay Singh Chautala loses from family bastion |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/politics/ellenabad-assembly-election-inld-abhay-singh-chautala-vs-bharat-singh-beniwal-amir-chand-talwara-19487386.htm |work=CNBCTV18 |date=5 October 2024 |access-date=2 November 2024}}</ref>

In April 2024, Chautala was nominated by his party to contest the 2024 Indian general election from the Kurukshetra constitiuency of Haryana, but he lost the election to Naveen Jindal of the Bharatiya Janata Party.<ref>{{cite news |title=LS polls: INLD declares three candidates, Abhay Chautala from Kurukshetra, Sunaina from Hisar |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/ls-polls-inld-declares-three-candidates-abhay-chautala-from-kurukshetra-sunaina-from-hisar/articleshow/109407042.cms |work=The Economic Times |agency=PTI |date=18 April 2024 |access-date=15 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Kurukshetra Constituency Lok Sabha Election Result: Candidates Profiles, Map, Total Votes, Past Results {{!}} Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-constituencies/haryana/kurukshetra |work=The Times of India |access-date=11 June 2024}}</ref>

On 25 March 2025, he became the national president of the Indian National Lok Dal, succeeding his father Om Prakash Chautala.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Manav |first=Sushil |date=27 March 2025 |title=With Abhay Chautala's coronation as national chief, INLD eyes comeback as Haryana's primary Opposition |url=https://theprint.in/politics/with-abhay-chautalas-coronation-as-national-chief-inld-eyes-comeback-as-haryanas-primary-opposition/2566542/ |work=ThePrint |access-date=22 September 2025}}</ref>

== Positions held in sports organisations == {| class="wikitable" !Position !Organization !Year |- |President |Haryana Olympic Association<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://olympicharyana.in/|title=Haryana Olympic Association|access-date=22 November 2020|archive-date=5 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305042848/http://olympicharyana.in/|url-status=dead}}</ref> |2016-till date 1999-2012

1991-1995 |- |President |Haryana State Athletic Association<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.haryanaathletics.com/|title=Haryana Athletics|website=www.haryanaathletics.com}}</ref> |2013-till date 1996-2008 |- |President |Haryana State Boxing Association<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.haryanaboxing.com/|title=Haryana State Boxing Association (HSBA), Official Website|website=www.haryanaboxing.com}}</ref> |2000-till date |- |Chairman |Indian Amateur Boxing Federation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indiaboxing.in/|title=Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) Official Website|website=indiaboxing.in}}</ref> |2012-2016 |- |Patron in Chief |All India Tug of War Federation |2008-2014 |- |President |Indian Olympic Association<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympic.ind.in/|title=Indian Olympic Association|website=www.olympic.ind.in}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |2012-2014 |- |President |Indian Boxing Federation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://boxingfederation.in/|title=Boxing Federation of India|website=boxingfederation.in}}</ref> |2001-2012 |- |Chef-De-Mission |Indian Contingent, Guangzhou (China) Asian Games<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/other-top-stories/Abhay-Chautala-named-Indias-chef-de-mission-for-Asian-Games/articleshow/6821417.cms|title=Abhay Chautala named India's chef-de-mission for Asian Games}}</ref> |2010 |- |Member |Organizing Committee, Commonwealth Games-2010 Delhi<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://d2010.thecgf.com/organising_committee_commonwealth_games_delhi_2010_formed|title=Organising Committee Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 formed &#124; XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi|website=d2010.thecgf.com}}</ref> |2010 |- |Vice-President |Asian Boxing Federation<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.asbcnews.org/|title=ASBCNEWS}}</ref> |2004-2011 |- |Vice-President |Indian Olympic Association<ref name=":2" /> |1991-2012 |- |President |Haryana State Volleyball Association |1991-2000 |- |Secretary General |Haryana State Volleyball Association |1985-1991 |}

<!--(seems promo and needs sources)== Women empowerment programs == A believer of equal stature for women, Abhay has extensively worked to empower them. He propagated the right to education for girls with the launch of 'Shrimati Haraki Devi Memorial College for Women,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gopichandgehlot.com/abhay-singh-chautala.html|title=Gopi Chand Gehlot}}</ref>' where meritorious girls are provided fee concessions along with free lodging. He also introduced the scheme that provided free transportation facilities to girls travelling from nearby villages to educational institutions. It was his encouragement that led an activation participation of girls in sports, which was earlier dominated by men.--->

==Personal life== He married Supriya in March 1987, but she died under suspicious circumstances at the age of 19 on 11 November 1988. Later, he married Kanta Chautala and has two sons, Karan Singh Chautala and Arjun Singh Chautala.<ref name="Profile"/><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mudgal |first1=Vipu |date=15 December 1988 |title=Congress(I) raises doubts about Om Prakash Chautala's daughter-in-law Supriya's death |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19881215-congressi-raises-doubts-about-om-prakash-chautalas-daughter-in-law-supriyas-death-797993-1988-12-15 |access-date=31 January 2021 |work=India Today |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-civ}} {{s-bef|before=Vijay Kumar Malhotra}} {{s-ttl|title=President of Indian Olympic Association|years=2012–2014}} {{s-aft|after=Narayana Ramachandran}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chautala, Abhay}} Category:Living people Category:1963 births Category:Indian National Lok Dal politicians Category:Haryana district councillors Category:People from Sirsa district Category:Leaders of the opposition in Haryana Category:Haryana MLAs 2019–2024 Category:Haryana MLAs 2014–2019 Abhay Category:Indian sports executives and administrators