Dushyant Chautala’s JJP heads a coalition government with the BJP in Haryana. (Proceedings)
Chandigarh:
The resignation of Akali Dal’s only Union minister, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet over agricultural ordinances, has put opposition pressure on Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janata party, which is heading a coalition government with the BJP in Haryana.
The opposition attack on JJP began with a tweet from congressional spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala. “Dushyant HeeAfter Harsimrat Kaur Badal, he should have at least resigned from D&C. You are more attached to your chair than you are to farmers … “Mr Surjewala tweeted last night.
The Jannayak Janata Party or JJP, which has opposed the BJP’s agricultural sector bills, shares many similarities with Punjab-based Akali Dal.
Both parties not only have a strong rural base in their respective states, but they also share close family ties. While opposing agricultural ordinances, Akali Dal’s Sukhbir Singh Badal had named former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal (who was the founder of INLD and Dushyant Chautala’s great-grandfather) as one of the greatest agricultural leaders. The Badals are also believed to have played an important role in sealing the alliance of the BJP and JJP in Haryana.
Farmers’ agitation against the ordinance has pressured the JJP of Dushyant Chautala to take a position on the issue like the Akalis. The JJP has been supporting farm ordinances and blames Congress for misleading farmers.
The lathicharge of farmers during a protest rally in Kurukshetra district last week has also created problems for the JJP, which shares power in the state. Many farmers were seriously injured and the opposition had attacked the government for suppressing their voices.
“Certainly, I would like to say one thing that the incident that took place in Pipli is reprehensible. There should be an investigation against the people who first stopped, but then gave permission (for the demonstration)”, Dushayant Chautala, who is the Senior Deputy Minister of the Haryana government, he said later.
But now his own MLAs have begun to doubt his leadership.
JJP MLA Devender Babli has demanded a change in party leadership claiming that “there was dissatisfaction among the majority of the 10 MLA in the party.” Mr. Babli is the second MLA JJP after fellow MLA Ram Kumar Gautam who expressed dissatisfaction with Dushyant Chautala’s leadership. Last week, a video clip was widely shared on social media in which Babli appears to be making serious allegations against department officials.
While Dushyant Chautala said that an investigation into the lathicharge charge will be ordered, the Haryana Interior Minister contradicted him by denying any use of force during the farmers’ protest in Kurukshetra. “The police did not accuse the farmers,” Anil Vij had said earlier.
Feeling the political damage, the JJP has issued an apology for the lathicharge in Kurukshetra last week. “JJP apologizes to the farmers subjected to lathicharge. JJP was always with the farmers … and the interests of the farmers are always paramount to the party. After watching the lathicharge video on the farmers, the first thing we did was condemn the incident because it was wrong, “Digvijay Chautala, Dushyant Chautala’s younger brother and president of INSO, the youth wing of JJP, said Thursday.
Dushyant Chautala, however, has yet to oppose the agricultural ordinances that were passed yesterday at Lok Sabha. Although JJP has faced dissent within the party and also with its alliance partner, this is perhaps the first time the party appears to be on the defensive. The bigger question remains whether Chautalas will follow Badals to win over farmers.
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