Claimant to Devi Lal’s legacy, he has a long way to go
CHANDIGARH : Till this time around last year, Dushyant Chautala, the then youngest MP in the country, was viewed as one of the most promising generation-next leaders in Haryana.
His ambition, however, got better of him and the resultant effect was a feud and crippling split in the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and formation of the breakaway Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in December 2018, after party supremo Om Prakash Chautala expelled Dushyant along with his father Ajay Chautala and brother Digvijay for anti-party activities.
As if waiting for it, an unrelenting Dushyant worked overtime to bring many INLD workers and leaders into the JJP fold. This all happened at a time when both party supremo Chautala and Ajay are in jail since 2013 in the JBT recruitment scam case.
Dushyant has since been claiming to be the heir of political legacy of his great-grandfather, INLD founder and former deputy prime minister late Devi Lal.
Dushyant can be repeatedly heard saying in his rallies that several leaders whom his great grandfather groomed have strayed from his teachings and are with different political parties.
“Our party is named after Jannayak (as Devi Lal was known) and we vow to follow his footprints. People have shown their love for JJP in the Jind bypoll and even in the recent Lok Sabha elections,’’ he says. Political observers as well as family and the party wellwishers are questioning the move as both —INLD and JJP — are staring at ae loss of face in the October 21 elections which are being increasingly viewed as a fight between the BJP and the Congress.
Political observers, however, say it is too early to conclude Dushyant’s (or JJP) standing whether he would be able retain the space the INLD once had or not. “There is a pattern in BJP’s politics in states like Maharashtra, Orissa, Assam and Haryana. It first becomes a junior partner with the main regional party like INLD in Haryana, to fight the Congress and then enhances its sway and space even eating into space of the regional outfit,” says head of the political science department, Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak.
The INLD which won from 19 seats in the 2014 assembly elections, now has with only three MLAs, with 10 of its legislators having joined the BJP and four, including Dushyant’s mother Naina Chautala, besides some from Congress, in the JJP fold. The INLD could not have suffered more.
A FANTASTIC START
Dushyant won his first election as INLD candidate and trounced erstwhile Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) candidate and former MP Kuldeep Bishnoi in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Within about a months of the split, JJP faced the Jind bypoll in which Dushyant fielded youth leader and his younger brother Digvijay in which he finished second, relagating Congress candidate Randeep Surjewala to third place and pushing INLD to humiliating fifth position.
Many workers and functionaries of INLD saw a promise and splendid career of the US-educated Dushyant, who maintained a stature vis-a-vis the INLD leaders. Contrary to the INLD leaders’ image of plain-speak, Dushyant is fluent in Hindi and English alike, soft spoken and talks respectfully to all – young and elderly.
He and his team have a dexterous grip on social media articulating their views, decisions, moves and campaigns.
THE CHALLENGES AHEAD
Political observers, however, opine that despite impressive performance so far, Dushyant has a long way to go.
He might have a sway in some areas such as Hisar, Bhiwani and Jind, he does not have it in areas like his erstwhile INLD citadel Sirsa and areas like Sonepat, Rohtak, Kalka and Panchkula.
Dushyant also lacks the basic support base of the INLD – the farmers and Jats – of which there are many claimants. The upcoming election appears polarised on the basis of caste and there does not seem to be much of a room for Dushyant and his fledgling party.