2 more INLD MLAs join BJP; party’s count falls to seven

The political leaders exit further indicates the fast declining fortunes of the INLD in Haryana, which, till recently, was the main opposition party in the state with 19 MLAs. It now has only seven.

The Indian National Lok Dal got yet another jolt with two of its sitting members of the legislative assembly (MLAs), Parminder Dhull from Julana and Zakir Hussain from Nuh, joining the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) on Tuesday. While Hussain is a three-time MLA, Dhull is a two-time MLA from Nuh and Julana, respectively.

With the formation of its splinter outfit, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), there has been a sort of an exodus of legislators from the Indian National Lok Dal in the past five months. (Sourced)

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and state party president Subhash Barala welcomed the two to the party.

Apart from Hussain and Dhull, Rohtak Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) president Dharampal Madroli also joined BJP on the occasion.

The political leaders exit further indicates the fast declining fortunes of the INLD in Haryana, which, till recently, was the main opposition party in the state with 19 MLAs. It now has only seven.

This desertion is also being seen as a major embarrassment for the INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala, who is making all-out efforts to strengthen the party after the crippling split in December 2018.

Prior to Dhull and Hussain, another INLD MLA Balwan Singh Daulatpuria had joined the BJP earlier this month.

The INLD became the principal opposition party in Haryana with 19 MLAs, while the Congress had 17 in 2014. The INLD’s count fell to 17 because of the demise of INLD’s two MLAs, Hari Chand Middha (Jind) and Jaswinder Singh Sandhu (Pehowa), but the vertical split in the party and formation of its splinter outfit Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) led to a sort of exodus of its MLAs in the past five months.

Four INLD MLAs, Naina Chautala (Ajay Chautala’s wife and Dabwali MLA), Anoop Dhanak (Uklana MLA), Rajdeep Phogat (Dadri) and Prithi Singh (Narwana) have openly sided with the JJP. They are facing disqualification proceedings for switching sides.

INLD’s Hathin MLA Kehar Singh and Nalwa MLA Ranbir Gangwa formally joined the ruling BJP in March and another INLD MLA Naseem Ahmed (Ferozepur Jhirka) went to the Congress a few days later. With the exit of Daulatpuria, who was a first-time MLA, the INLD count stood at nine.

Dhull and Hussain's exit has, thus, further dragged the INLD MLAs’ count down to seven.

The other opposition party, Congress, has 17 MLAs, though it has yet to arrive at a consensus on the position of Leader of Opposition, the status INLD’s Abhay Chautala had lost because of fall in his party's count after the mass exodus MLAs.