All eyes on INLD's rally at Kaithal today

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, September 24

All eyes are on Monday’s rallies being organised in Kaithal and Sikar by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) — the two factions of the Chautala clan — to mark the birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal.

The rallies are important for the INLD and the JJP as these are being held ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and Rajasthan and Haryana Assembly poll. While the JJP is an ally of the BJP, the INLD has been trying to join the INDIA bloc.

Former CM Om Prakash Chautala-led INLD will leave no stone unturned to make its Kaithal rally a success as it has been working hard to revive its fortunes. The party was reduced to one MLA in the Assembly after the 2019 poll in the wake of a split in the Chautala family.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has been pitching for inclusion of the INLD in the INDIA bloc. INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala had called on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to invite him for the rally. Several INDIA alliance leaders, including NCP leader Sharad Pawar, former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah, Bihar Deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, former UP CM and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary, JDU leader KC Tyagi, Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien, besides SAD leader Sukhbir Badal are likely to attend the Kaithal rally. AAP leaders have also been invited to the event.

A political expert said the presence of a Congress representative at the rally would make a big difference to the INLD. “Politics is the game of possibilities. The INLD which once had a strong antipathy for the Congress is now warming up to it because it needs support to revive its political fortunes. Abhay met Kharge, but he is yet to take a call,” he said.

On the other hand, the JJP, which is the BJP’s ally in the government, will hold the rally in Sikar. JJP leader Ajay Singh Chautala and his son Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, who had parted ways with the INLD in 2018, are looking to expand their base in Rajasthan in view of the upcoming poll in the neighbouring state. Devi Lal, father of INLD supremo OP Chautala, had left the Congress in 1971 and launched an anti-Congress political outfit in Haryana. He also played a key role in formation of an anti-Congress Rashtriya Morcha in late 1980s. Later, Chautala took baton from him and fought against the Congress in Haryana. The INLD had allied with the BJP in past in Haryana.

JJP to hold rally in Sikar

The JJP will hold its rally in Sikar. JJP leader Ajay Singh Chautala and his son Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala are looking to expand their base in Rajasthan in view of the upcoming poll there.