Haryana: Blow to JJP as state chief quits
Within the JJP, the soft-spoken Nishan Singh is perceived to be a trusted ally of former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala
Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), the erstwhile coalition partner of the BJP in Haryana, suffered multiple blows on Monday after state party chief Nishan Singh and two other senior leaders announced to quit the JJP, a development that comes when the party leadership is facing protests from the farmers during campaigning for Lok Sabha elections.
Within the JJP, the soft-spoken Nishan Singh is perceived to be a trusted ally of former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala. Two other leaders who decided to jump out of the JJP ship are Kamlesh Saini, national general secretary and chairman of Narnaul municipal council and Rekha Sakeya, a senior leader of the party.
Nishan Singh said that he has personally conveyed his decision to quit the party to JJP’s national president Ajay Chautala, while Saini sent her resignation letter to the party supremo.
Having resigned from all posts of the party and primary membership, Saini said that she will decide about the next course of action in consultation with her supporters.
Senior leader Rekha Sakeya (general secretary state unit of JJP), who hails from Ratia in Fatehabad, also announced to part ways with the JJP without shedding light on her next course of action.
Nishan Singh is a former MLA of Tohana segment in Fatehabad and as JJP chief he enjoyed the trust of top JJP leaders.
“ I have called a meeting of my supporters to discuss the next step....There are several reasons behind my resignation... I worked with Ajay Chautala for 30 years and our friendship and family relations will continue in future too. I want to thank him for giving me the opportunity to head the state unit of JJP since 2018,” Singh said.
Sources say in the run-up to his move to quit the JJP, Nishan had met Congress stalwart Bhupinder Singh Hooda reportedly last week. He had won from Tohana assembly segment in 2000 on Indian National Lok Dal’s (INLD) ticket and lost three consecutive polls in 2005, 2009, 2014. In 2019 polls, JJP had given a ticket to Congress Devender Singh Babli, who defeated the then BJP state chief Subhash Barala.
It is learnt that Nishan Singh’s chances of joining Congress hinge on the assurance of getting an assembly election ticket from Tohana.
Three JJP leaders’ decision to quit the party comes close on the heels of protests against Dushyant Chautala. In rural areas, a section of the voters are staging protests against the JJP to air their reservations against JJP’s decision to join hands with the BJP and share power during the second innings of Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister from October 2019 to March 12, 2024.
Another trouble on the political horizon for the JJP is that at least five sitting MLAs are actively exploring the possibilities of joining either BJP or Congress to secure their tickets to contest assembly elections due in October.
