Uncle's "Betrayal" Dig At Dushyant Chautala As BJP Revamps Haryana Cabinet

Abhay Singh Chautala is the uncle of JJP leader Dushyant Singh Chautala

Chandigarh:

As the BJP revamped its government in Haryana, a move that is likely to be followed by the end to its alliance with the Dushyant Chautala-led Jananyak Janata Party (JJP), his uncle and Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Singh Chautala took a veiled swipe at the nephew who lost his Deputy Chief Minister post.

“Gaddari ho jiski buniyad, anjam-e-minaar hona hi tha barbaad,” Abhay Chautala, Ellenabad MLA, posted on X. The lines roughly translate to: “A tower built on the foundation of betrayal is bound to be destroyed.”

गद्दारी हो जिसकी बुनियाद, अंजाम-ए-मीनार होना ही था बर्बाद!

— Abhay Singh Chautala (@AbhaySChautala) March 12, 2024

JJP was formed after a split within the INLD and its first family, led by former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala. While Abhay Chautala remained with the parent party, Dushyant and Digvijay, sons of his elder brother Abhay Singh Chautala, founded the JJP.

A year after its formation, the JJP pulled off a stunning performance in the 2019 Haryana elections, winning 10 seats. The party ate into the support base of its parent party INLD, which was reduced to just one seat in the Assembly. The JJP tied up with the BJP to form the government in Haryana. Dushyant Chautala got the Deputy Chief Minister post and JJP three cabinet berths.

For months now, there was speculation about the BJP and JJP parting ways. The Dushyant Chautala-led party had reportedly asked for two Lok Sabha seats, but BJP was offering only one. When no breakthrough could be reached, the BJP pulled the plug. The Manohar Lal Khattar government stepped down and Nayab Singh Saini was chosen as the new Chief Minister.

The BJP has 40 members in the 90-seat Assembly and it is learnt to have the support of some Independents and a breakaway group of JJP MLAs, giving it a comfortable majority. Interestingly, five JJP MLAs skipped a meeting at Dushyant Chautala’s Delhi residence today, indicating that they may have changed sides. JJP is likely to issue an official statement on its next move tomorrow.