The feud-riddled Indian National Lok Dal hurtled towards a split after the party supremo Om Parkash Chautala on Friday expelled his grandsons, Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala and his younger brother, Digvijay from the primary membership of the party.
Dushyant has also been removed from the post of leader of INLD Parliamentary Board. Dushyant and Digvijay, sons of OP Chautala’s elder son, Ajay Chautala have been expelled from the party following accusations of indiscipline and engaging in anti-party activities.
The shocking move came on the day when it was announced that Ajay Chautala will be out on parole and address the party on November 5. There have been speculations that Ajay Chautala could announce to float a separate party following the rift in politically influential Chautala family.
The latest developments in INLD are seen as a result of “war of succession” and a deepened rift between OP Chautala’s younger son Abhay Singh Chautala and his nephew Dushyant.
Abhay Chautala, who is Leader of Opposition in Haryana Assembly and Dushyant Chautala are seemingly fighting to lay claim on the legacy of party’s founder and former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhuri Devi Lal and his son former Chief Minister OP Chautala.
The crisis within the party deepened after the Gohana rally on October 7 after a group of youths allegedly indulged in hooting at the time Abhay Chautala was speaking, while there were cheers for Dushyant Chautala as he spoke.
The expulsion has put in doubt the INLD’s prospects in the forthcoming general elections and Assembly polls scheduled later in 2019.
“Both Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Singh had been accused of indiscipline, hooliganism and spreading disaffection within the party against the party leadership during the birthday celebrations of Chaudhary Devi Lal in Gohana on October 7,” the INLD statement stated on Friday.
“Om Prakash Chautala conveyed to the party office that he did not need any outside evidence since he was a witness to the indiscipline and unruly scenes that also continuously interrupted his speech on that day but still he had referred the matter to the disciplinary action committee of the party. The committee has concluded that both are guilty as charged,” the party stated.
“In view of the fact that Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Singh were members of his immediate family, it was not an easy decision for him to make. But he added that all his life he had followed the principles and ideals of Jana Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal, for whom the party was always bigger than the individual or any family member,” the statement said.
“Thus he had to make a choice between the party and members of his family and he had chosen the party and decided to concur with the conclusions of the disciplinary committee. Accordingly, he had instructed the party office that his decision be immediately put into effect,” the party statement added.
Dushyant and Digvjay were suspended from the party on October 11 and the matter was referred to the party’s disciplinary committee which was asked to submit its report by October 25.
Both the brothers had earlier denied accusations of indiscipline against them and termed it as a conspiracy against them, seeking evidence against them.
Following their suspension, their mother and Dabwali MLA Naina Chautala had claimed that a conspiracy to distance her sons from the party was being hatched for the last two years and some of the party leaders wanted to suppress her sons due to their rising popularity.
“Their father Ajay Chatuala had given 40 years to the party and never expressed his interest to become the Chief Minister. Even my children never said that they want to be the CM. But now, some people want to become CM after working only for a few years, Naina Chautala had alleged.
Dushyant Chautala (31) is the youngest MP in the Lok Sabha, and a popular youth leader in the State.
Now, all eyes are set on Ajay Chautala, who will be out on parole and is set to address the party workers on November 5.
Ajay Singh Chautala along with his father OP Chautala are currently serving jail term in the teachers' recruitment scam.
This is not the first time that the INLD is “witnessing a war of succession”. Among Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhuri Devi Lal’s four sons, former CM OP Chautala and Ranjit Singh fought a bitter battle of succession. The father had at that time handpicked Chautala and crowned him the president of the INLD.
This time, OP Chautala has sided with his younger son, Abhay Chautala, who will be leading the party in 2019 LS polls and is likely to be INLD’s Chief Ministerial face in Assembly polls.