All is not well in the Indian National Lok Dal, Haryana’s principal opposition party. INLD’s chief OP Chautala on Thursday dissolved the party’s youth wing and student wing INSO along with effecting an organisational restructuring of the party, indicating at an apparent rift in politically influential Chautala family of Haryana.
INLD’s supremo decision of dissolving the party's youth wing and student wing INSO has led to a turmoil in the party with INSO national president Digvijay Singh Chautala maintaining that the INSO cannot be dissolved by anyone except its founding member and its executive committee.
The development has come at a time when there were reports of ongoing “war of succession” and a deepening rift between Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala and his nephews Dushyant and Digvijay.
Abhay Singh Chautala is the younger son of Om Prakash Chautala.
While Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala was the party's youth wing leader, Digvijay Chautala headed the INSO. Both are sons of INLD's state secretary general Ajay Singh Chautala, Abhay's elder brother.
OP Chautala's decision to dissolve the youth wing and student wing also came days after a group of youths allegedly indulged in hooting at the Gohana rally on October 7 when the Leader of Opposition was speaking, while there were cheers for Dushyant Chautala as he spoke. At the rally, OP Chautala had warned of taking strict action against indiscipline by the party workers.
The party’s rally on October 7 was organized to mark the 105th birth anniversary of INLD’s founder and former deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal.
A press statement issued by the INLD on Thursday stated, “Both youth wing and student wing of INLD were found to be lacking in discipline and commitment to the ideals of the party. The party’s youth wing failed to play its role during the Gohana rally on October 7 and the INSO was found indulging in blatant anti-party activities.”
"INSO is accused of entering into a conspiracy with anti-party forces to disrupt the Gohana rally and smear the name of INLD. Thus, Chautala in his capacity as INLD's national president, has dissolved the youth wing of the party and the national and state units of INSO--party's student wing," the statement said.
However, going against his grandfather’s decision, INSO national president Digvijay Chautala has said that INSO cannot be dissolved as it is an independent body and registered under Society Act. Only Ajay Singh Chautala, who is the founder member of INSO can dissolve it, he said.
Digvijay Chautala has also appealed to the party workers to maintain peace and not to react on the development.
The development also comes as a big jolt to both Dushyant and Digvijay as students’ unions elections are scheduled to be held on October 17 in Universities and Colleges of Haryana after a gap of over 22 years. INSO headed by Digvijay had been chalking out plans to hold protest over the issue of indirect elections to students’ unions in the state.
Political observers feel that with the decision to dissolve youth wing and student wing of INLD, OP Chautala has certainly sided with his younger son, Abhay Chautala, who will now be leading the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Notably, former Chief Minister OP Chautala along with his elder son Ajay Chautala are currently serving 10-yearjail sentence after being convicted, in teacher recruitment scam in Haryana.
In their absence, Abhay Chautala is steering the party, which has been losing its sheen after being out of power since 2005.
Eyeing 2019 polls, INLD had earlier this year tied up with BSP to contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls and assembly polls due later that year in Haryana.
Meanwhile, OP Chautala also announced the new office-bearers of the national body on Thursday. While Chautala himself remains the national president, the vice-presidents are Anant Ram Tanwar, Sadhu Ram Chaudhary, Narayan Parsad Aggarwal, Kumari Phoolwati, Ashwani Dutta and Ram Bhagat Gupta.
While RS Chaudhary will be secretary-general of the party, Ramesh Garg, Brij Sharma and Capt. Inder Singh will be the general secretaries. The new parliamentary board will have OP Chautala as the chairman and Ashok Arora, BD Dhalia, Anju Singh and Kamal Nagpal as its members.