The “war of supremacy” in the Indian National Lol Dal led by the Chautala clan of Haryana has apparently turned bitter and intense with Ajay Singh Chautala coming out in support of his sons, Dushyant and Digvijay and announcing to fight back.
“Yaachna nhi ab rann hoga, Jivan jai ya ki maran hoga”, said Ajay Chautala, while quoting a couplet from Mahabharat, an epic story of the family feud, during the address to his supporters in New Delhi, after coming out from the Tihar Jail on parole on Monday.
Elder son of INLD national president OP Chautala, Ajay further said, “I have learnt from my father… Adhikaar magne se nhi, cheenne se milta hai.”
Ajay’s harsh statements came after his sons, Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Chautala were expelled from the primary membership of Haryana’s main opposition party INLD on November 2 by their grandfather OP Chautala.
Dushyant was also removed from the post of Leader of the INLD Parliamentary Board.
Stung by these “decisions”, Ajay Chautala said, “I am quite surprised to see the affairs of the party (INLD). We will fight this situation. We will decide the next course of action in coming days after I complete the tour of Haryana.”
“I will conclude the state’s tour on November 17 at Jind, where we will decide the next course of action,” said Chautala while asking his supporters to gather in a large number at Jind on that day.
Indicating towards the recent happenings in the INLD including expulsion of his sons, party’s state secretary general Ajay told his supporters, “I am meeting you in a changed circumstances.”
“I will visit Dadri, Bhiwani, Hansi, Hisar and then go to Sirsa, where I will meet the party workers on Tuesday,” he added. With Ajay Chautala backing his sons and staking claims on the party, battle lines are clearly drawn in the Chautala clan for establishing supremacy and control over INLD’s base vote bank.
Also, the chacha-bhatija war in the INLD has evidently turned in a war between two brothers, Abhay and Ajay Chautala with the developments on Monday. OP Chautala’s younger son Abhay Chautala, who is also the Leader of opposition in Haryana Assembly and Dushyant Chautala had been fighting to lay claim on the legacy of party’s founder and former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhuri Devi Lal.
Both Dushyant and Digvijay are great-grandsons of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal. In a veiled attack on his younger brother, Abhay Chautala who had claimed that those who left the party were the paid agents of the Congress, Ajay said that we all are INLD people.
Mentioning names of INLD MLAs and former MLAs who were present on the occasion, he asked his supporters, “Are they Congressmen? Are you Congressmen?
A day before, Abhay Chautala, the MLA from Ellenabad while commenting about the resignations of several party leaders following the expulsion of the young leaders, had said that those who left the party were the paid agents of the Congress who were trying to weaken the INLD. In more signs of defiance, Ajay also went onto say that Indian National Students Organization (INSO), the student wing of the party cannot be dissolved.
“INSO is an independent body founded by me and it cannot be dissolved…,” he said.
“Party kisi ki bapauddi nahi hai. (No one has birth right over the party). The party belongs to workers who have nourished it with toil and blood,” Ajay said while warning against autocratic ways in INLD’s affairs.
Though he did not mention Abhay’s name during his entire address, it was evident that his stinging remarks were directed at his younger brother, who is calling the shots in the party. Announcing that he will be visiting all district headquarters to seek opinion of party workers to chalk out the next course of action, Ajay said that we will create a situation compelling OP Chautala to invite Dushyant to take over the reins of the party.
The statement made by Ajay Chautala was welcomed by a huge applause by party cadres who raised slogans in support of Dushyant.
Two party MLAs Anoop Dhanak and Rajdeep Phogat, former MLAs, senior party leaders were present during Ajay’s address to the party workers in New Delhi.
Citing the incident in late 80s when the Chautala family had faced succession battle between Devi Lal’s eldest son, OP Chautala and his third son, Ranjit Singh, Ajay said that there was a time when Devi Lal had sidelined OP Chautala but later OP Chautala took over the reins of the party.
On the occasion, he also lauded his father and party patriarch OP Chautala and late Devi Lal and asked the party workers not to raise any question on the family or use offensive language against any leader and family member.
Speaking on the occasion, Dushyant Chautala earlier said that he would abide by the decision of his father.
The hostilities within the Chautala family have virtually split the party into two camps.
While trouble has been brewing between Abhay Chautala and his nephew Dushyant for almost a year, the crisis within the party had deepened after the Gohana rally on October 7 where a group of youths had allegedly indulged in hooting at the time Abhay was speaking and there were cheers for Dushyant Chautala as he spoke.
Digvijay and Dushyant were expelled after party’s disciplinary committee had found them guilty of charges of indiscipline and engaging in anti-party activities. The expulsion of these two young leaders has put in doubt the INLD’s prospects in the forthcoming general elections and assembly polls scheduled later in 2019.
Notably, both OP Chautala and Ajay Chautala are barred from contesting elections after they were convicted in a teachers recruitment scam in 2013. Both are serving ten-year sentences in Tihar Jail.
The INLD is being managed by Abhay Chautala since then. After being out of power since 2005, the INLD had in April this year announced to join hands with the BSP for 2019 crucial polls. The INLD had announced to contest Lok Sabha polls and assembly polls in Haryana in alliance with the BSP.