INLD turns to Nuh to reclaim lost Mewat ground, eyes Congress support base

By holding its first-ever samman diwas rally in Nuh on September 27, the party seeks to reconnect with a region where it once had elected representatives, a substantial support base and a strong organisational presence

Struggling to regain its political foothold in Haryana, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is returning to Muslim-dominated Nuh, the heart of Mewat region, with an objective that goes beyond commemorating the birth anniversary of its founder and former deputy prime minister, Chaudhary Devi Lal.

First-ever samman diwas rally in Muslim-dominated region marks attempt to revive old network. (HT Photo)

By holding its first-ever samman diwas rally in Nuh on September 27, the party seeks to reconnect with a region where it once had elected representatives, a substantial support base and a strong organisational presence.

The choice of venue is significant for a party attempting to rebuild after years of electoral decline. Rather than concentrating its revival efforts only in its traditional areas of influence in western and northern Haryana, the INLD is taking its campaign to a region where Congress has consolidated its position and where the BJP has struggled to emerge as the principal challenger.

“We have decided to hold this year’s rally to mark the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Devi Lal in Nuh, following a strong demand from the people of Nuh and Mewat,” said INLD national president Abhay Chautala.

While giving details of the event, party’s state president Ram Pal Majra said, “The rally will be spread across 75 acres. Initially, we had planned a 90 by 200 foot pandal. However, while travelling across all 90 Assembly constituencies to invite people to the rally, we witnessed enthusiasm and received an overwhelming response. In view of the expected turnout, the size of the pandal has now been increased to 300 by 1,000 feet”

Majra said the INLD’s top leadership was leaving no stone unturned to make the rally a success, with party leaders and workers reaching out to people across villages within a 100-km radius of the venue. Around 25 teams have been formed to hold village-level meetings and personally invite people across Haryana to attend the rally.

Regarding the key objectives of this rally Majra said that people of the state are fed up with the BJP’s misrule, as corruption and crime are at their peak. Since the Congress is reeling under internal differences, only the INLD is the best alternative in Haryana now, he added.

“Chaudhary Devi Lal had a special place in his heart for the people of Mewat. Holding the rally here is an effort to reconnect with the region and address the expectations of its people, who have remained neglected under successive governments,” Majra said when asked why the INLD had chosen the Congress stronghold of Nuh for the rally instead of targeting the ruling BJP.

The region was once an important part of the INLD’s electoral map. In the 2014 Assembly election, the party won Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirka, and the nearby Hathin assembly constituency while its candidate finished runner-up in Punahana. In Nuh, Zakir Hussain secured 64,221 votes, or 52.35%, defeating Congress candidate Aftab Ahmed by 32,796 votes, while Kehar Singh Rawat of INLD defeated BJP’s Harsh Kumar by a margin of around 10,000 votes.

The party’s statewide decline following the split in the Chautala family and the emergence of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), however, also affected its position in Mewat. The INLD’s vote share fell from 24.21% and 19 seats in 2014 to 2.44% and one seat in 2019. It recovered marginally in 2024, polling 4.14% and winning two seats, but remained a small force in the 90-member Assembly.

Mewat region’s 2024 results offer both a reason for the INLD to return and a measure of the challenge ahead as the Congress won all three seats in Nuh district.