The Hindu : Other States / Haryana News : Chautala finds himself on the mat in election year

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Friday, Dec 24, 2004

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Other States - Haryana

Chautala finds himself on the mat in election year

CHANDIGARH, DEC. 23. Even as he faces Assembly elections in February in the new year, the year gone by has been nightmarish for Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala-led Indian National Lok Dal as the party suffered its worst electoral defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.

On the other hand Congress, riding high on its success in the parliamentary polls, kept the government on its toes and also earned a bonus before the coming Assembly elections as Haryana Vikas Party announced its merger with it. Never before, he might have found his back to the wall so much as events unfolded misery for Mr. Chautala from almost the year's beginning. His party lost all 10 parliamentary seats in the state, with nine falling in Congress' kitty and one seat retained by his erstwhile ally BJP.

To rub the salt, Mr. Chautala's two sons also lost at the hustings. His elder son Ajay failed to retain his seat from Bhiwani while the MLA son Abhay, whom he had fielded from Kurukshetra, also lost badly. Having barely put the mid summer shock behind him, Mr. Chautala's celebration of Supreme Court's June verdict on vexed Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue allowing the state's plea for expeditious construction of the canal falling in Punjab territory were short-lived. As the Apex Court on June 4 directed the Central government to appoint an agency within four weeks on the SYL issue, Chautala government found itself bamboozled with Punjab's decision in mid-July to scrap the river water sharing agreements with neighbouring States. Haryana said Punjab had violated the provisions of the constitution as well as basic principles and tenets concerning federalism and rule of law.

After Punjab scrapped the water agreements, the Centre referred the controversial measure to the Supreme Court. The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, sought the Apex Court's opinion on the validity of the Punjab Act. Soon after this development, politics in Haryana started hotting up with Congress MLAs, knowing they were on the other side of the fence hurled curses on Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. The six BJP MLAs went to the extent of resigning from the Haryana Assembly to protest the neighbouring state's decision and to protect the interests of their own state on SYL issue.

Towards autumn, former chief minister Bansi Lal-led HVP announced its merger with Congress. Earlier, Lal's son Surinder Singh, who had been wooing the BJP for a tie-up, failed in his effort as the saffron party had made up its mind to contest the coming assembly polls on its own.

While Congress said Bansi Lal's rejoining the party after a gap of 13 years would boost their prospects, Mr. Chautala termed the merger as "surrender" on Bansi Lal's part. In between came the Rajya Sabha polls and first indications that HVP had decided to lean towards Congress were available with the veteran leader openly announcing his party's support to his daughter-in-law and Congress candidate Kiran Chaudhary in the polls. While Chaudhary was hoping to scamper through the polls, days before the elections four independent MLAs and one each of RPI and NCP supporting her candidature were disqualified from the Assembly invoking action under the anti-defection law. As National Minorities Commission Chairman Tarlochan Singh, whose candidature was supported by INLD and BJP and INLD-backed Ajay Chautala won, Congress cried foul.

Immediately thereafter, Congress came out with a "chargesheet" against the Chautala government in November alleging that the ruling family had risen from having just 32 acres of land in 1977 to become one of the richest in the country now. The Gurgaon auction scandal also cast a shadow on the government's image.

Despite known infighting in the Congress' Haryana unit where state president Bhajan Lal, Jat stalwarts Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Birender Singh are known political rivals, Mr. Chautala failed to capitalise much on the situation. However, Mr. Chautala went into an overdrive towards the year-end with a series of pre-poll promises and laying of foundation stones of developmental projects aimed at wooing different sections of voters. He announced 50,000 jobs for youths, unemployment allowance for youth, enhancement in monthly old age pension, announced several projects for supplying electricity to towns and villages across the State and setting up of new power and drinking water projects. A feather in Haryana's cap came towards the end of the year when the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, dedicated State's first 250 MW thermal generating unit at Panipat.

The Chief Minister recently got back to Haryana the personal belongings of social reformer and farmers' leader Chootu Ram. He also made efforts to give further boost to the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan by inviting a 120-strong Pakistani delegation led by World Punjabi Congress Chairman Fakhar Zaman to a three-day seminar in Kurukshetra.

PTI

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Chautala finds himself on the mat in election year