Former special assistant to Haryana deputy CM Dushyant Chautala joins BJP

The BJP later issued a statement that around 150 JJP functionaries, including workers and local leaders, have joined the party along with Mahesh Chauhan. The JJP leaders denied this claim and said “only a few of them” were from their party

Senior Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Mahesh Chauhan, who was until last month a special assistant to deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his supporters on Friday.

Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala. Mahesh Chauhan’s induction into the saffron party has not gone down well with BJP ally JJP, which held a press conference in the afternoon and said Chauhan was expelled from the party on August 25 for anti-party activities. (PTI Achive)

Chauhan was welcomed into the party by Haryana BJP president OP Dhankhar at a function held in Gurukamal, the party office in Gurugram.

Chauhan’s induction into the saffron party has not gone down well with BJP ally JJP, which held a press conference in the afternoon and said Chauhan was expelled from the party on August 25 for anti-party activities. JJP leaders also had strong words for BJP -- they said the saffron party should have informed them about the move prior to Chauhan’s entry.

Prateek Som, national spokesperson, JJP, said, “There were several complaints of corruption against Mahesh Chauhan and local workers in south Haryana were not satisfied with him. Taking cognizance of the matter, he was removed from the post of special assistant to deputy CM on September 1. He has also been removed from the party and the workers are happy about this. His joining the BJP will not have any bearing on our coalition,” he said.

The BJP later issued a statement that around 150 JJP functionaries, including workers and local leaders, have joined the party along with Chauhan. The JJP leaders denied this claim and said “only a few of them” were from their party.

Chauhan said he has served JJP, and prior to that the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), for around 26 years. He now wanted to join a national party as it offered a bigger opportunity to serve the people and the state. “I have been influenced by the ideology of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. BJP has a national footprint and so I joined it. I resigned from the post of special assistant to deputy CM last month and left the JJP on September 4,” he said.

When asked about the allegations of corruption levelled against him by JJP leaders, Chauhan said they were baseless. “I have given my entire life to that party. If the charges are true they can prove it,” he said.

The BJP said Chauhan’s entry will not have any impact on the coalition as this was “an individual decision” taken by those who wanted to join a larger platform and get more opportunities.

“Chauhan has joined a coalition partner and not gone out of our fold. We have not poached him or the other party workers. They have joined a larger party with a national footprint,” said Raman Malik, BJP spokesperson.

Haryana BJP chief Dhankhar, who welcomed Chauhan into the party, said their coalition with JJP was strong and will remain so.

Deputy CM Chautala could not be reached for a response.