The crisis in the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) seemed to be deepening as Ram Kumar Gautam, the senior leader of Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and MLA from Narnaund who had resigned as the party’s national vice-president on December 25, refused to meet his party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala.
“Whatever I have to say, I had conveyed. Now there is no question of rethinking on my decision”, he said when asked whether he would take back his resignation as Vice President of the party.
Gautam said that he had no regrets about resigning from the post of party vice-president. “JJP is not a national party. I was made all India vice president in the party even though the party has influence in a limited pocket in Haryana. I am among those who follow the ideals,” he said, adding “My self-esteem has been hurt, so I will not go to meet Dushyant.”
Gautam said, “JJP is a party made by me and my efforts. People have elected me, I have responsibility towards them. If I resign from my party, I will lose the seat as well and I cannot leave my constituency in the lurch. I nurtured nurtured the party with my sweat and blood.”
He said, “I was not even an aspirant for JJP ticket. But Dushyant and his father Ajay Chautala were keen that I should join them and fight election against the sitting BJP MLA Capt Abhimanyu.
Gautam, who was in the race for becoming a minister after the JJP formed an alliance with the BJP said that after becoming the Deputy Chief Minister, Dushyant took 11 departments under his control and forgot the other party leaders.”Along with this, Gautam also indicted that many other MLAs of the party are associated with him.
As of now, there is no ministerial berth from JJP in the coalition government. A day before, Dushyant, while talking to reporters at Secretariat said,” I will not comment whatever he (Gautam) has said so far. He should talk to party leaders. Their concern will be addressed. Once resignation letter is received the party president Nishan Singh will look into it.”
Meanwhile, Dushyant indicated that he was not going to give ministerial berth to any one of his party colleagues in the BJP-JJP led coalition government in the State.
Replying on the question that MLA Gautam wants to become Minister in the government, Dushyant said, “We do not want to say anything if he wants to become a Minister. Party is supreme for us and our responsibility is to strengthen the party and the government.” He reiterated that there is no differences among the party leaders and party leaders are working on the ground to boost the party through membership drive.
Gautam has no history of remaining in one party for long time. He became an MLA from BJP in 2005, a few days later, he came close with the Congress.
He contested the 2010 election on a Congress ticket and lost. Then he also got disillusioned with the Congress. He contested 2014 election as an independent and lost. In 2019, he fought on JJP ticket.
When JJP decided to join the government with BJP, legislators like Ramkumar Gautam, Ishwar Singh, Ramkaran Kala and Devendra Babli were hoping to become ministers but this could not happen. Gautam’s outburst reflects the frustration of the ministerial aspirants.