Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) sprung a surprise on Thursday by finishing at second spot in bypoll to Jind assembly segment.
Fledgling outfit, JJP which was formed in December last year by former MP Ajay Singh Chautala alongwith his sons Dushyant and Digvijay, might have lost in number game to the BJP in Jind bypoll but the party’s founders will be contented staying ahead of Congress, Indian National Lok Dal and Loktantra Suraksha Party (LSP) of BJP rebel MP Raj Kumar Saini in the bypoll.
Making his electoral debut, Digvijay, 27 had contested as an independent candidate backed by the JJP, which is yet to receive certificate of registration from the Election Commission.
Dushyant’s younger brother Digvijay was polled 37631 votes (28.76 percent) and finished at second spot, clearly indicating JJP’s growing popularity in the state over the grand old parties—Congress and INLD.
The electoral gains by the JJP in less than two months of its formation also speak volumes of Hisar MP Dushyant’s political stature in Haryana.
The political pundits have termed JJP’s poll debut as successful as the party secured second spot in the three-cornered electoral battle.
The Congress’ heavyweight Jat candidate Randeep Singh Surjewala finished at third spot. Pt. Vinod Ashri of LSP (Raj Kumar Saini’s party) who secured fourth spot and INLD’s Umed Singh Redhu at fifth spot could not even save his security deposit.
“It was quite expected that the JJP would eat into INLD’s Jat vote bank in the bypoll. The polling arithmetic suggests that Jat voters favoured Digvijay more over Congress’ Jat candidate Randeep Surjewala and INLD’s Umed Singh Redhu,” say political analysts.
They say “While the consolidation of non-Jat voters worked for the BJP in the assembly constituency, Jat voters supported JJP’s Digvijay Chautala. The voting trend also suggests that rural voters have backed Digvijay.”
The bypoll witnessed the new political entrant JJP giving a fright to the ruling saffron party during the first few rounds of counting, when it had managed to gain a lead margin over the BJP.
The party’s performance in Jind bypoll will be a major morale booster for the party cadre ahead of general elections 2019 and assembly polls later this year in Haryana, say political experts.
With less than three months to go to Lok Sabha polls, the JJP has already begun scouting candidates for the polls.
In the absence of Ajay Chautala, who alongwith his father INLD’s chief OP Chautala is undergoing 10 years imprisonment after their conviction in JBT teachers’ scam in 2013, Dushyant and Digvijay are steering the JJP.
After the bypoll result, Digvijay while talking to the mediapersons said, we have proved that JJP is a strong political party.
“I am happy with the love and affection that I got from the people of Jind. They have given me huge support for which I thank them,” he said.
Commenting on his performance, Digvijay said, “I do not see the results as my defeat. It is a victory for us as we have got more than 37000 votes.”
On contesting in ensuing Lok Sabha polls, he said that the party will take a decision in this regard.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party had lent its support to the JJP in Jind bypoll. The bypoll outcome is now likely to result in an alliance between both the parties for upcoming general polls 2019.
The bye-election to Jind, considered as the political heartland of Haryana, was necessitated following the demise of INLD’s MLA Hari Chand Middha in August last year.
Notably, the INLD, founded in October 1996 by Choudhary Devi Lal had split following a power struggle between brothers Abhay Chautala and Ajay Chautala.
JJP, a breakaway faction of the INLD, was formed after INLD’s chief OP Chautala had expelled his three family members –his elder son Ajay Chautala and grandsons Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Chautala from the party.
With the split, the political fortunes of the INLD have taken a hit during the Jind bypoll. The INLD not failed to retain its Jind assembly seat, which it had won in 2009 and 2014 polls, but also ended up behind the candidates of JJP, Congress and LSP in the bypoll.
The INLD is currently in alliance with Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party. Having lost three consecutive assembly elections in the state, the INLD has been trying for a comeback in the state after being out of power since 2005.
After a humiliating defeat in Jind, Leader of opposition and INLD’s senior leader Abhay Chautala would now have to rethink his political strategy ahead of Lok Sabha polls and assembly polls in Haryana.
The INLD’s tally has fallen to 17 in the 90-member Haryana Assembly following the demise of its Pehowa MLA Jaswinder Singh Sandhu. The party had won on 19 seats in 2014 assembly polls.
In the absence of party’s patriarch OP Chautala who is serving a 10-year jail term since 2013 in Delhi’s Tihar jail, the INLD led by his younger son Abhay Chautala is already finding it difficult to keep its flock together.
Wife of Ajay Chautala, INLD’s MLA Naina Chautala and other two party MLAs have already lent their support to the JJP.
The Jind bypoll was seen as a “matter of pride and survival” in the state politics for both JJP and INLD and had even led to a bitter fight in the Chautala clan after the cancellation of furlough to INLD’s chief OP Chautala.
While the octogenarian leader, OP Chautala went onto call his grandsons Dushyant and Digvijay as traitors, Abhay Chautala had announced to break family ties with his brother Ajay’s family over the issue of cancellation of furlough.
Abhay had even accused Dushyant and Digvijay of hatching a conspiracy along with Delhi’s AAP Government to cancel the furlough of OP Chautala. A letter written by OP Chautala was also released where he criticized his grandsons and sought support for INLD candidate in Jind bypoll.