It’s a battle for survival for INLD

The 2024 Haryana assembly elections seem to have become a battle of survival for former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).

The regional outfit, which had an impressive track record until 2014, has been on a decline since 2018 when a vertical split led to the formation of Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) led by Dushyant Chautala, shaking its foundation.

Before the split, the INLD consistently secured 15% to 28% of the vote share in Lok Sabha and assembly elections from 2000 to 2014. However, it performed below par in the 2019 Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

INLD’s vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was reduced to 1.9% from 24.4% in 2014. It did not win any Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and in the assembly polls the same year, the party registered its only win from the Ellenabad seat. The party’s vote share in the 2019 assembly polls was reduced to 2.5% compared to 24.2% in the 2014 assembly elections. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, INLD contested seven seats and could secure only 1.84% of the vote share. Its prominent leader, Abhay Singh Chautala, who contested from Kurukshetra, and six other candidates lost their security deposits.

The INLD vote bank is limited to the Chautalas’ home turf Sirsa, Fatehabad, Jind, pockets of Kaithal and Yamunanagar.

The party was once known to have a strong cadre, but after many prominent leaders quit ahead of the 2019 general polls, the morale hit an all-time low.

Political experts say that INLD’s youth voter brigade also shifted its loyalties to young leaders like Dushyant and Digvijay Chautala. In the last five years, the INLD failed to reinforce its base.

With former CM, OP Chautala not too active due to age-related problems, the INLD essentially revolves around his younger son, Abhay Singh Chautala.

Hisar-based political expert Jagdeep Singh Sindhu pointed out that if the INLD doesn’t get enough votes, as prescribed under the election commission norms, it will lose its election symbol which would a big setback for the party and Chautala family.

Mayawati’s BSP moves in to bail it out

The INLD recently entered into an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj party (BSP). Under the seat-sharing arrangement for 90 assembly seats, the BSP will contest 37 seats leaving the rest for INLD.

The alliance has projected INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala as its chief ministerial face. The alliance aims to woo 25% Jats and about 22 % scheduled caste voters in the state, promising ₹7,500 a month pension for the elderly, ₹21,000 a month to unemployed youths, legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) on crops, ₹1,100 a month to women, free gas cylinders and 100 square yard plots to downtrodden families.

INLD focusing on selected pockets

The party has started focusing on selected seats to improve its performance in the 2024 assembly elections. Party’s media coordinator Rakesh Sihag said that they have identified several seats, where they are focusing hard to secure wins.

According to party sources, Abhay Chautala is also exploring options to contest from Uchana Kalan assembly seat, which is represented by his estranged nephew Dushyant Chautala of the JJP.

Alliance will surprise everyone: OP Chautala

Party supremo OP Chautala says the INLD-BSP alliance will be a surprise packet as it will upset everyone’s calculation in the assembly polls.

“Our alliance will protect the rights of farmers and labourers. INLD has an army of strong workers and dissertation won’t impact our party’s performance in the polls,” the former CM said.

Party general secretary Abhay Singh Chautala, who represents Ellenabad seat in Haryana assembly, said that he was the only politician across the country, who resigned from the membership of the House against the three agri-marketing laws.

“Since Chaudhary Devi Lal’s era, our party has sacrificed a lot for the welfare of farmers and labourers. We vow to continue this. I will not accept any post except that of the CM. If I fail to achieve this, I will continue to raise peoples’ voices as an MLA,” he added.