New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS): With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scripting history in Haryana with its third clear and decisive victory, an old picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with three stalwarts, known as the Lal trio, of the state politics is going viral on social media.

The three Lals dominated Haryana’s politics for more than four decades after the state was created in 1966.

Modi Archive, a popular X handle on Tuesday shared an old picture of PM Modi with the three ‘Lals’.

The three ‘Lals’ of Haryana namely – Devi Lal, Bhajan Lal, and Bansi Lal dominated the state’s political discourse and rose to the helm. Today, their descendants are taking forward their legacy but that doesn’t belittle their role and contributions to state polity. Even after decades of their departure from public life, they remain fresh and relevant in people’s minds.

Bansi Lal, who served as the defence minister of India from December 1975 to March 1977, was a three-time Chief Minister from 1968 to 1975 (Congress), 1985 to 1987 (Congress), and 1996 to 1999 with the Haryana Vikas Party. He is also known as the 'architect of modern Haryana'.

Bansi Lal was considered a close confidant of the former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, and her son, Sanjay Gandhi, during the Emergency era of 1975-1977.

Devi Lal, who emerged as farmer leader from the state of Haryana, served as the state’s Chief Minister for two times from 1977 to 1979 and then from 1987 to 1989. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1989 to 1990 and from 1990 to 1991.

Devi Lal founded Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) in October 1996 which was later in 1998 renamed as the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). He was regarded as a Jat leader with mass rural support.

Bhajan Lal served as Haryana Chief Minister three times as well – for the first time in 1979, secondly in 1982, and then for the third time in 1991. He was also the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Environment and Forests in the Rajiv Gandhi government.