INLD faces its worst crisis since inception

Chandigarh: The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is going through its worst crisis since its inception, by late Chaudhary Devi Lal. The party is in grip of a family feud between the grandsons, MP Dushyant Chautala his brother Digvijay Singh Chautala on one side and family head former chief minister Om Parkash Chautala and his son Abhay Chautala on the other.

The family feud in INLD, at a time when assembly elections in Haryana are not far away, has given rise to many speculations and possibilities. The INLD which was trying to pitch itself as the alternative to Congress and BJP, is now facing an existential crisis due to family feud. The party’s effort to rally around Jat voters could face serious setback due to state of instability in the party.

With INLD Supremo Om Parkash Chautala suspending both his grandsons the things have further moved the party in the direction of split. The INLD held a meeting of its working committee in Gurgram and the matter of indiscipline against Dushwant and Digvijay came up and was referred to the party’s disciplinary committee. The committee has been asked to submit its report by October 25 and till then both will remain suspended from INLD’s primary membership. The family feud which simmering for long came to public during a public meeting to celebrate 105th birthday of Chaudhary Devi Lal, where both Dushyant and Digvijay were charged creating a ruckus.  

Both Dushyant and his younger brother Digvijay have been rather “defiant” ever since they were sent a notice and suspended on October 11 for anti-party activities in the wake of the ruckus at the party’s “Samman Rally” at Gohana, which, party leaders allege, was engineered by both the brothers.

Chautala’s furlough from the Tihar Central Jail, where he is serving sentence in the JBT recruitment scam, came to an end on Thursday. He will be out for a day for a medical check-up on October 25. It is then that he is expected to take a decision on the issue.

All eyes are now on Dushyant’s father Ajay Singh Chautala, serving imprisonment with his father, who is likely to be out on parole on this week. It would be interesting to watch as to what would be his political move. Sources said the Chautala-Dushyant meeting, where other family members were present too, ended abruptly with Dushyant making a hasty exit as soon as his uncle Abhay Singh, with whom he has a family feud, arrived there. The on-going family feud could dent the INLD’s attempt to capture power in the state after fifteen long years. It was trying hard to project itself as a credible alternative to ruling BJP and Congress.

When the party came to power last — in 2000 by securing a majority of 47 seats — party patriarch former Deputy PM Devi Lal was alive. He died in 2001. After that, the INLD has been out of power in the state, losing three Assembly polls consecutively. The party won nine seats in 2005, 32 seats in 2009 and 19 in 2014. It won two Lok Sabha seats (Hisar and Sirsa) in 2014 after drawing a blank in 2004 and 2009.

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