Haryana: Fight for survival of JJP, INLD in Lok Sabha polls

Pradeep Sharma

Chandigarh, May 3

It is a battle for survival for the regional outfits—JJP and the INLD—in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Haryana.

Regional parties important

The voters will repose faith in the JJP and not the national parties as the regional party would be in better position to raise people’s voice in Parliament. —Dushyant Chautala, former deputy CM and JJP Leader

With the state bracing up for a direct fight between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress in the May 25 parliamentary polls, the JJP and the INLD are fighting with their back to the wall to remain relevant in Haryana politics.

Not to talk of a win in any of the 10 Lok Sabha seats, it would be a Herculean task for these two parties to emerge as the “kingmaker” in the Lok Sabha polls and be a part of the government either with the BJP or the Congress.

Political observers feel that it will be a tough task for the JJP and the INLD to retain their core vote bank, the Jats, in the parliamentary polls. Since the parliamentary elections are held on national issues, these regional outfits will be hard pressed to retain their traditional vote bank.

Before a vertical split in the INLD in December 2018 which led to the emergence of JJP on Haryana’s political map, the INLD has had an impressive electoral record. In fact, the INLD has consistently been securing between 15 per cent to 28 per cent votes in successive Lok Sabha elections.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the INLD had two MPs securing 24. 4 per cent votes. However, post-split in 2019, the INLD clocked its worst-ever performance getting just 1.9 per cent votes.

The performance of the JJP was no better as the party secured only 4.9 per cent votes. However, in the 2019 Assembly elections, the JJP emerged as kingmaker winning 10 seats and cobbled together an alliance to form a government in Haryana. The alliance broke off in March this year.

The breaking off of the alliance would cost the JJP as it will have to fight alone on all seats. Similarly, the INLD which was hoping to get one or two seats as part of the INDIA bloc failed to forge an alliance and is fighting alone in the Lok Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, former Deputy Chief Minister and senior JJP leader Dushyant Chautala asserts that the voters will repose faith in the JJP and not the national parties as a regional party will be in a better position to raise people’s voice in the Parliament.