Lone INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala resigns from Haryana Assembly over farm laws

Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 27

Haryana Speaker Gian Chand Gupta on Wednesday accepted the resignation of senior INLD leader and Ellenabad MLA Abhay Chautala, who resigned from the Haryana Assembly to express solidarity with farmers protesting against the three farm laws.

Later taking to mediapersons, Chautala dared the JJP MLAs, who staked claim on the legacy of his grandfather and one of the tallest farmers’ leaders Chaudhary Devi Lal, to resign from the Haryana Assembly in support of the farmers.

Terming yesterday’s incident at Red Fort as Central government’s conspiracy to derail the peaceful farmers’ agitation, he claimed the INLD was the only party committed to farmers’ welfare.

He came down heavily on former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for his “tacit” support to the BJP-JJP government for its various acts of omission and commission.

Abhay’s decision has apparently put additional pressure on Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala to adopt more aggressive attitude towards the BJP, the senior alliance partner in Haryana.

Dushyant is already under pressure from a majority of the JJP MLAs to adopt a more “proactive” role regarding farmers’ agitation.

With farmers’ organisations and the Opposition asking the JJP to part ways with the BJP over the three farm laws, Dushyant had been doing a tight rope walk in the Haryana politics since the farmers agitation began on November 26 on Delhi’s borders.

While he is hard-pressed to keep the BJP in good humour amid farmers’ agitation, he is equally worried to keep at least seven of the 10 MLAs with the coalition government over farm laws.

Abhay’s resignation is seen as a clever move by experts to put the JJP in a spot and reclaim the legacy of Chaudhary Devi Lal.

Both Abhay and his brother Ajay Chautala have been claiming to be true successors to Devi Lal’s legacy.

In the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections, the JJP had emerged as the kingmaker with 10 assembly seats while the INLD had to content with only one assembly seat.

The JJP eventually joined the BJP to form the government in Haryana.

While Abhay, who has thrown in his lot with protesting farmers have been blasting the BJP and the JJP over farm laws, Dushyant has been claiming that the BJP-JJP government had ensured the minimum support price(MSP) for different crops. Dushyant had contended that he would resign from his office the day he failed to ensure MSP for farmers’ produce.