JJP leadership to take call on action against MLA Gautam: Dushyant

A DAY AFTER The MLA had accused Chautala of being autocratic and controlling all the levers of power

CHANDIGARH: Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader and deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala on Thursday said senior party leaders and the JJP chief will decide if any action is required against Narnaund legislator Ram Kumar Gautam, who has unfurled the banner of revolt against the party.

On Wednesday, 73-year-old Gautam, a Brahmin, who is referred to as “loose cannon” in political circles, had triggered a political storm within the JJP by accusing Chautala of being autocratic and controlling all the levers of power.

Gautam had announced his resignation as party’s vice president, saying he was “upset with functioning of the JJP.”

He went on to remind Chautala that he became deputy CM with the support of nine JJP legislators. Gautam’s outbursts were attributed to the JJP denying him ministerial berth even as he had defeated BJP leader and former finance minister Capt Abhimanyu.

“Senior JJP leaders along with party chief will meet the MLA and discuss his grievances… After holding talks with the MLA, if it appears that his utterances could harm the party then it is the prerogative of the party president to take appropriate action,” Chautala said during a press conference here on Thursday.

However, before talking tough and allowing the party leadership to decide the future course of action against the rebel MLA, the deputy CM referred to Gautam as “dada (grandfather), our elder, who is also the senior most MLA of the JJP.”

Adopting a stance akin to carrot and stick policy, Chautala said: “He is an elder leader and we don’t mind what he says. However, if he has any grievance we can talk.”

Dismissing Gautam’s accusations that deputy CM’s decision to stitch an alliance with the BJP was autocratic, Chautala said it was Gautam who had moved the resolution of joining hands with the BJP to form the coalition government.

Chautala said the party is yet to receive the resignation of the MLA. “Gautam is a senior party leader. If he has any grievances, he can come and tell the party members. We have not received his resignation…,” Chautala said. After defeating BJP leader and former finance minister Capt Abhimanyu, JJP MLA Gautam was the frontrunner for the Cabinet berth in the wake of hung House and the BJP stitching an alliance with the JJP.

Gautam had won as a BJP candidate from Narnaund in 2005. He contested the 2009 assembly election as a Congress candidate unsuccessfully and again contested 2014 assembly election as an independent unsuccessfully.

However, in the Lok Sabha elections, Dushyant Chautala as JJP nominee had bagged 56,007 votes from Narnaund assembly segment against 52,977 votes by the BJP nominee.

JJP gaining lead in Narnaund was attributed to Gautam’s growing grip in the constituency.

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He is an elder leader of the party and we don’t mind what he says. However, if he has any grievance, we can talk. DUSHYANT CHAUTALA, deputy chief minister