Ellenabad bypoll: INLD fields Abhay Singh Chautala for prestige battle, again

Tribune News Service

Hisar, October 3

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has re-nominated party general secretary Abhay Singh Chautala for the byelection to the Ellenabad Assembly segment scheduled for October 30.

The byelection was necessitated after Abhay, who was the lone INLD MLA, resigned from the Assembly in support of farmers’ agitation in January.

The party supremo and former Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala, announced the decision to field Abhay after having consulted a panchayat at Nathusari Chopta village in the Ellenabad segment today.

Abhay (58) has won the Ellenabad Assembly seat thrice (2010 byelection, 2014 and 2019). Besides, he won his first Assembly election in 2000 from the erstwhile Rori segment in 2000.

“I had quit the Assembly seat after having consulted people in Ellenabad and to support the farmers’ agitation. The electorate wants me to fight the elections again. I am thankful to the party and people for reposing faith in me,” he said.

The INLD leader brushed aside the criticism of the ruling BJP-JJP government and the Congress, which questioned his rationale for quitting the seat over the three agricultural laws and now seeking re-nomination though the farmers’ demand is still remains unfulfilled.

Chautala will be the star campaigner in the byelection as the INLD is seeking to revive its political fortunes after the party split in 2018, reduced to just one seat in the Assembly in the 2019 elections. However, a new scenario is emerging in the state following the farmers’ agitation.

Political experts say Abhay’s gamble to resign from the Assembly has apparently given a breather to the party, which was evident from the Jind rally on September 25 to mark the birth anniversary of Devi Lal, grandfather of Abhay.

Both the INLD as well Jannayak Janta Party, which was formed by Abhay’s elder brother Ajay and his sons Dushyant and Digvijay in December 2018, have been claiming the political legacy of former Deputy PM Devi Lal.