Dushyant launches party at Jind

Vishal Joshi
Tribune News Service
Pandu Pindara (Jind), December 9

Expelled INLD leader and Hisar Member of Parliament Dushyant Chautala today launched the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) at an impressive rally here, claiming he was the rightful heir to the legacy of Chaudhary Devi Lal. “Jannayak” is a reference to the late Jat leader.

Dushyant and younger brother Digvijay, who were expelled on November 2, are great-grandsons of the former Deputy PM, Ch Devi Lal. 

Dushyant did not announce as to who would head the party launched at a time when Lok Sabha elections are round the corner. The Assembly polls are to be held in October next year.

Amid a show of strength by the two warring Chautala brothers, elder brother Ajay Singh had on November 17 announced that he would float a new party. He was expelled from the INLD. His younger brother Abhay Singh is INLD general secretary and Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Assembly.

Drumming up support for his jailed grandfather and INLD chief OP Chautala, Dushyant asked his supporters, estimated to be in thousands, to raise slogans in his favour. Explaining the significance of the colours of the party flag, he said green stood for progress and yellow energy. 

In a veiled attack on uncle Abhay Singh, he claimed: “Ch Devi Lal worked selflessly for others but the INLD leadership deviated from that path.” Three rebel MLAs, including Rajbir Phogat and former Speaker Satbir Singh Kadian, were among those present at the rally.

Attacking the BJP and Congress, Dushyant alleged the parties had done nothing to improve the lot of the farmers. The focus of his speech was primarily on two sections — farmers and the youth.

If voted to power, Dushyant promised to do away with the eligibility test for government schoolteachers,  cap tuition fee charged by private schools, award old age pension to women at age 55 and men at age 58, waive farm loans taken from cooperative banks and ensure hi-tech mobile dispensaries and clean water in villages.

To raise funds for his new party, Dushyant sought Re 1 from each person in the crowd and offered to give Rs 27 lakh — his salary as MP.