In another jolt to INLD, its former chief Arora quits
CHANDIGARH: IN yet another major setback to Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), its former president Ashok Arora and four-time MLA quit the party on Tuesday.
Arora had resigned from the post on May 24, taking responsibility for the party’s worst ever debacle in the Lok Sabha election as once-the-main opposition party INLD got just a humiliating 1.9% votes in Haryana.
The INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala had accepted his resignation but appointed him as the senior vice-president of the national body of the INLD on June 13. Arora, however, was inactive in the INLD since and reportedly wanted to join BJP and even met chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar in July.
He was said to have been disenchanted with the party ever since it suffered a crippling split in October last year, following which its 10 MLAS had joined BJP and four switched sides with INLD’S splinter outfit Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). The INLD had 19 MLAS in 2014 but is left with just three now.
TIGHT-LIPPED OVER NEXT MOVE
Arora who announced his decision to quit INLD at a press conference after holding a meeting with his supporters in Kurukshetra, however, remained tightlipped over his next move.
Arora said he was quitting INLD, with which he remained associated for over 40 years, with heavy heart. “I have taken this decision for the people of Thanesar, whom I would like to serve. While I have their blessing with me, I would also seek blessings of INLD supremo for the next move.” To the volley of questions whether he would join Congress, Arora insisted that he had to decide on the same. “But one thing is clear that whichever party I would join, I would remain with it till the end,” he held.
Meanwhile, talks were on in BJP and Congress that Arora who was keen to contest from Thanesar was keeping his options open.