The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Without BJP umbrella, Dushyant faces exodus heat
Mother Naina Chautala appeals to voters not to punish him for ‘BJP’S acts’
“HE WILL teach the BJP a lesson.” That is how a group of youngsters inkarnalreactedwhendushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) won 10 seats in its first outing in the 2019 Assembly polls. Less than five years on, it is the BJP that appears to have done so.
Within days of the alliance breaking up in March, Dushyant — who once invited comparisons with his great-grandfather and former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal — is not only facingangryfarmersbutalsostaring at an exodus from his party.
Protestingvillagersinhisaron April 5, who forced Dushyant to leave his vehicle and walk, prompted his mother, Dabwali MLA Naina Chautala to apologise on his behalf andrequestherson not be punished “for acts of the BJP”.
Back in 2019, Dushyant chose to ally with the BJP even though the JJP had benefited from anti-bjp votes. Even at the time, there was disbelief on the ground at his decision and many political observers said he had sown the seeds of his defeat. But Dushyant, who was appointed the Deputy CM, said he was joining the governmenttoservehisconstituents.
The tall, bespectacled youngster, who made it to the Limca Book of World Records when he became the youngest MP in 2014 at age 26, seemed to have the makings of a rising star. A management graduate from the US with a law degree to boot, he was barely 16 when he was first spotted on the campaign trail with his grandfather and former CM O P Chautala. Later, a furious O P Chautala expelled him from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in 2018 when a crowd of his supporterscontinuedtoraiseslogans in Dushyant’s favour despite being remonstrated by the former CM at a rally. Unfazed, the youngster formed the JJP the very next month,namingthepartyafterhis great-grandfather.
There were many sniggers when JJP was awarded the poll symbol of a chappal, with former CM M L Khattar famously asking voters to greet him with this footwear but Dushyant soldiered onandbagged10seatsevenasthe INLD could get only one.
Dushyant, who was given the powerful portfolio of excise, faced his first test when farmers of the state joined the agitation against thethreefarmlawsin2020.while a couple of JJP MLAS openly supported the farmers, Dushyant remained non-committal.
Hisuncleabhayresignedfrom the Assembly in protest. Now, with their back to the wall, the estranged family is making overtures to the INLD. Earlier this week, Dushyant’s father Ajay said he would be happy to rejoin the INLD. This received an angry reaction from his brother Abhay who said the party had no room for “traitors”.
How JJP’S troubles snowballed
Dushyantreceivedhisfirstjolt last year when senior BJP leaders began to rule out Lok Sabha seatsharing with the JJP. Both sides continued shadow boxing until March when the alliance came unstuckandthebjpformedanew ministry.thefaultlineswithinthe JJP came to light when five of its MLAS refused to heed the party whip and attended the Assembly on the day of the fresh trust vote. But they left before the vote.
The biggest blow came on Monday when state JJP chief Nishan Singh, a long-time lieutenant of Ajay Chautala who was one of the first to switch from the INLD to the JJP in 2019, left the party.soonafter,twoothersenior leaders followed suit.
Once cornered by farmers, an angry Dushyant snapped at them saying, “Don’t teach me politics.” Onlytimewilltellifdushyantwill be able to pull another surprise.