Tough going for regional parties in Lok Sabha poll

Tribune News Service

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, April 6

This Lok Sabha poll seems to be the toughest test for regional political outfits in Haryana in the history of parliamentary elections. With a direct contest in the offing between the ruling BJP and the Congress-led INDIA bloc, the regional outfits — the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) — seems to be struggling to find candidates from their respective cadres to take the field.

Regional kshatrapas have wielded significant influence in state politics from 1967 onwards. The 2019 poll turned out to be the worst for regional parties since 1977.

The INLD, which had two MPs in 2014, could not control factionalism in the Chautala clan that led to the formation of the JJP in December 2018, months before the 2019 General Election. The split had a fallout and both the INLD and the JJP secured just 1.9% and 4.9% vote share. All their candidates lost deposit except JJP’s Hisar candidate Dushyant Chautala.

Political expert Prof ML Goyal said the regional parties had eroded their cadre and vote bank. “While the electorate has no sympathy with the JJP, which is evident from the reaction of villagers during Dushyant’s visit, the INLD has been out of power for two decades and also witnessed a bitter split. It’s no longer a force to reckon with in Haryana,” he said. A rejuvenated cadre was very important for the survival of the outfit. “The cadre of both these parties is highly dejected,” he stated. The INLD and the JJP were also having difficulty in selecting candidates. “The JJP announced Rao Bahadur Singh from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, who joined the party weeks ago. It seems that they are waiting for the declaration of tickets by the Congress,” he said.

The INLD, earlier Lok Dal, had carved a niche in Haryana politics since the late 1970s, led by Devi Lal, who emerged as a main challenger to the Congress. Apart from 1977, when the Janata Party won all 10 seats, the Lok Dal had sent 21 MPs to the Lok Sabha from Haryana since 1980. Devi Lal merged the Lok Dal with the Janata Dal in 1988, after which it won six seats in 1989. Later, the INLD retained the regional force and secured over 15% to 28% vote share on different occasions before sliding to 1.9% in 2019.

The Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) formed in 1991 by a former CM, Bansi Lal, had won five seats in the Lok Sabha poll (one in 1991 and 1998 and three in 1996) and polled the highest vote share of 15.19% in 1996. It merged with the Congress in 2004.

The Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) formed by Bhajan Lal in 2007 won twice from Hisar and secured the highest of 10% votes in the 2009 Lok Sabha poll. It merged with the Congress in 2016. The Vishal Haryana Party (VHP), led by Rao Birender Singh, could win just one seat in 1971.

How the parties have fared

• 2019: JJP secured 4.9% votes, INLD 1.9%
• 2014: INLD won two seats with 24.4% votes; HJC in alliance with BJP contested on two seats, won none
• 2009: INLD polled 15.77% (no seats); HJC won one seat and polled 10% votes
• 2004: INLD got 22.43% vote share (no seat); HVP polled 6.9% votes (no seat)
• 1999: INLD polled 28.75% votes and won five seats in coalition with the BJP; HVP got 2.71%
• 1998: INLD won four seats with 25.9% votes; HVP won one seat with 11.6% votes
• 1996: INLD drew blank with 19.01% vote share; HVP won three with 15.19% votes (as BJP ally)
• 1991: INLD polled 25.41% votes (no seat); HVP won one seat with 5.35% vote share
• 1989: Janata Dal won six seats with 38.90% vote share; Lok Dal merged with Janata Dal
• 1984: Lok Dal secured 19.1 % vote (no seats); ICJ (Lok Dal ally) polled 10.49% votes (no seats)
• 1980: Janata Party (Secular) won four seats with 33.52% votes; Janata Party won one seat with 28.14% votes
• 1977: VHP (Cong ally) contested one seat, got 4.65% votes
• 1971: VHP (Cong ally) won one seat, secured 9.16% votes
• 1967: Swatantra Party secured 5.6% votes

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