INLD’S ABHAY CHAUTALA QUITS ASSEMBLY OVER NEW FARM LAWS
CHANDIGARH: Former leader of the opposition and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) legislator from Haryana’s Ellenabad, Abhay Singh Chautala, on Wednesday resigned from the state assembly in protest against the three farm laws passed by the Centre.
Haryana assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta said he had accepted the resignation. “A formal notification declaring vacancy of the Ellenabad assembly seat will be issued,’’ he said.
Chautala appeared before the speaker on Wednesday to offer his resignation. He noted in his resignation letter that he had on January 11 and 14 written to the speaker that if the demand by farmers seeking a repeal of the three central laws passed in September was not met by Republic Day, his resignation should be accepted on January 27. “That’s why I am presenting my resignation again on Wednesday,’’ the INLD leader said.
The resignation of Chautala, who was the lone INLD MLA in the state assembly, has put pressure back on his nephew and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala.
Dushyant Chautala, the deputy chief minister and an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana, has been deflecting demands to quit the alliance over the farm laws.
Both Abhay Chautala and Dushyant Chautala pride themselves as the torchbearers of the farmers’ cause and are claimants to the legacy of former deputy prime minister Chaudhary Devi Lal. Abhay Chautala is Lal’s grandson and Dushyant Chautala is his great grandson.