Ellenabad bypoll: INLD’s last-ditch effort to remain relevant in Haryana

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 18

Former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala-led INLD is making a last-ditch effort to remain relevant in Haryana politics by fielding its secretary general Abhay Chautala, who is seeking his fourth term in the October 30 Ellenabad byelection.

In fact, it will be the first test of popularity for the INLD since the October 2019 Haryana Assembly elections where the party clocked its worst performance polling just 2.4 per cent votes and winning only one seat.

New direction to state politics

The INLD win in Ellenabad will give a new direction to state politics as the BJP-JJP legislators would leave the alliance government after the bypoll, necessitating midterm election in the state. Om Prakash Chautala, former Chief Minister

Abhay, who was the only party legislator after the 2019 Assembly poll, had resigned in January this year in solidarity with farmers protesting against three farm laws.

Observers feel that since Ellenabad byelection would the first election after the release of INLD supremo Chautala from jail after completing his sentence in the JBT recruitment scam, the result of the election would be a virtual referendum on the popularity of the former Chief Minister.

Chautala today exuded confidence that the INLD win in Ellenabad would give a new direction to state politics as BJP-JJP legislators would leave the alliance government after the bypoll, necessitating mid-term election in the state.

The INLD was the principal opposition after the 2014 Assembly elections polling 24 per cent votes and winning 19 seats in the 90-member Haryana Assembly.

However, a split in the party leading to the formation of the JJP in 2018 made the new party the kingmaker after the 2019 Assembly poll. Later, the JJP, which won 10 seats, cobbled together an alliance with the BJP.

Traditionally, Ellenabad has been an INLD stronghold with Chautala winning the seat in 1970 and 2009. Abhay, who first won from this seat in the 2010 byelection, has retained the seat in 2014 and 2019. He now hopes to make it four times in a row.