INLD MLA ABHAY SINGH CHAUTALA RESIGNS OVER FARM LAWS
CHANDIGARH: To register his protest against the enactment of the three farm laws, former leader of opposition and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA from Ellenabad Abhay Singh Chautala on Wednesday tendered his resignation from the state assembly.
Haryana Vidhan Sabha speaker Gian Chand Gupta said he has accepted the INLD MLA’s resignation. “A formal notification declaring vacancy of Ellenabad assembly seat has been issued,’’ the speaker said.
In his resignation, Abhay wrote that he had on January 11 and 14 written to the speaker saying that if the demands of the farmers were not met by January 26, his resignation should be accepted on January 27.
The resignation of Abhay Singh, who was the lone INLD MLA in the state assembly, has put the pressure back on his nephew and Jannayak Janta Party leader Dushyant Chautala.
Dushyant, the deputy chief minister and an ally of the ruling BJP in Haryana, has been deflecting demands of quitting the alliance on the issue of the three farm laws. He has also faced hostility from the peasantry despite assuring them that he would quit the moment farmers stopped getting minimum support price for their produce.
Both Abhay and Dushyant pride themselves as torchbearers of the farmers’ cause and are claimants of the legacy of former deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal. Abhay is Lal’s grandson while Dushyant is his great grandson.
With Abhay’s resignation from the assembly, the strength of the House stands at 89 with the BJP having 40 seats and the Congress 31. The BJP has the support of 10 JJP MLAs besides five independents.