Abhay quits as LoP, wants 5 disqualified

Chandigarh, March 23 

Abhay Singh Chautala on Saturday resigned as Leader of Opposition (LoP), writing to Haryana Assembly Speaker to disqualify five rebel MLAs — Naina Chautala (Dabwali), Anoop Dhanak (Uklana), Rajdeep Phogat (Dadri) and Pirthi Nambardar (Narwana), who have joined the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), and Ranbir Gangwa (Nalwa), who has switched to the BJP.

In his letter to Speaker RS Chaudhry, the INLD leader wrote: “They (MLAs) have been seen to be supporting the JJP and canvassing against the INLD.” 

He cited the decision of Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to disqualify Sharad Yadav for anti-party activity “that amounts to giving up the membership of the party and disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution”.   

The INLD had won 19 seats in 2014, but its strength was reduced to 17 after the death of Hari Chand Middha (Jind) and Jaswinder Singh Sandhu (Pehowa). The BJP wrested the Jind Assembly seat in a bypoll held earlier this year. If the five MLAs are disqualified, the party will be left with only 12. 

“We will write to the Lok Sabha Speaker as well to disqualify Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala,” said Abhay, claiming: “I will return as MLA but those who have ditched the INLD will not, either as MLA or MP.” Demanding that those killed during the Jat agitation be declared “martyrs”, he declared his party would contest all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana.