A huge political turmoil is being seen in Haryana before the assembly elections. Four MLAs of the kingmaker Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which was in power as a coalition partner of the BJP for about 4.5 years, have left the party. While three MLAs have distanced themselves from the party. Therefore, out of total 10 JJP MLAs, only three are practically left with the party.
These four MLAs resigned from the party
In the last 24 hours, 4 MLAs including former Labor Minister and Uklana MLA Anoop Dhanak, Shahabad MLA Ramkaran Kala, Guhala Cheeka MLA Ishwar Singh and Tohana MLA and former cabinet minister Devendra Babli have left the party.
These three MLAs distanced themselves from the party
Apart from the four MLAs who left the party, Narwana MLA Ram Niwas Surjakheda, Barwala MLA Jogi Ram Sihag and Narnaund MLA Ram Kumar Gautam have separated themselves from the party due to various reasons.
JJP has only these three MLAs
The crisis-hit JJP is left with only three party MLAs, including former Deputy Chief Minister and Uchana MLA Dushyant Chautala, his mother and Badhra MLA Naina Chautala and Julana MLA Amarjeet Dhanda. In this, 2 members are from Chautala family.
JJP failed to keep the MLAs united
Jannayak Janata Party became the king maker in the year 2019 by winning 10 assembly seats. However, the party leadership failed to keep its MLAs united. Now speculations are being made that 6 MLAs will join mainstream parties including Congress and BJP. There is speculation that MLAs Ramkaran Kala, Ishwar Singh and Devendra Babli will join Congress, while Anoop Dhanak may join BJP.
This bet backfired
The JJP leadership had earlier also tried to stop the exodus of its MLAs, but had failed. An attempt to lodge an FIR against two disgruntled MLAs, including Jogi Ram Sihag and Ramniwas Surjakheda, for anti-party activities backfired. These two MLAs have announced their support to the ruling BJP and even campaigned for the party’s candidates in the Lok Sabha elections.
These two dissatisfied MLAs cited personal reasons
Two disgruntled party MLAs Ishwar Singh and Ramkaran Kala have recently resigned and cited personal reasons for leaving the party in their letters sent to party president Dr. Ajay Singh Chautala. Devendra Babli, who was once his close associate, was not happy with Chautala’s work. He had openly expressed support for Congress MP Kumari Selja in the Lok Sabha elections. Now speculations are being made about Devendra Babli joining Congress, but he has left the decision to his supporters.
What did Devendra Babli say on resignation?
Devendra Babli said that when I left Congress 5 years ago, the situation was different. I joined JJP on the suggestion of my supporters. But after 5 years the situation has completely changed, so I am resigning.
What is the reason for the MLAs leaving the party?
The biggest reason for party MLAs leaving JJP is the weakening of the party. The party’s vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was 14.9%, which has come down to 0.87 percent in 2024. Sources say that the primary vote bank of the Chautala family (JJP, INLD) was Jat voters, who switched to Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. JJP has described its decision to support BJP as anti-farmer and as a loss in the case of Jat movement.
Digvijay Chautala said – MLA who left the party ‘opportunist’
Reacting to this development, JJP General Secretary Digvijay Chautala has described the party’s four MLAs as ‘opportunists’. At the same time, Dushyant Chautala said that many people have betrayed JJP and those who are leaving the party do not matter to us. JJP is ready to contest the assembly elections and we will form the government.
This is how JJP became kingmaker
There is a Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana. In the assembly elections held 5 years ago i.e. in 2019, BJP had won 40 seats. BJP had secured 36.7 percent vote share. Therefore, BJP had emerged as the largest party, while Congress was at second place with 31 seats, Congress’ vote share was 28.2 percent. Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) was at third position, JJP had won 10 seats with 14.9 percent vote share. Haryana Lokhit Party had won only one seat by securing less than one percent vote share. While 7 independents also won the elections, no party touched the magic figure of 46 seats to form the government. In such a situation, JJP became the kingmaker. BJP had formed the government with the support of JJP, Haryana Lokhit Party and independents. Before the Lok Sabha elections, BJP broke the alliance with JJP and made Naib Singh Saini the CM in place of Manohar Lal Khattar.