Dushyant Chautala should not consider JJP a family party: MLA Babli

Chandigarh: Jannayak Janta Party MLA and former state minister Devender Singh Babli on Friday took on his own party leader Dushyant Chautala, saying he should not consider JJP as a family party.

The Tohana MLA's attack assumes significance as JJP leader Dushyant Chautala has written to Haryana Governor, contending that the Nayab Singh Saini government no longer commands a majority and there should be an immediate floor test.

Babli has complained that Chautala did not consult his MLAs before the move.

In 2019, the Jannayak Janta Party, which had campaigned against the BJP, after the results extended its support to it and formed a government in the state in alliance.

Babli on Friday said, "We elected Dushyant Chautala as leader of the party legislature group. Parties work according to a democratic system. He should not consider it as his family party as in addition to Dushyant and his (MLA) mother (Naina Chautala), eight other legislators were elected in the 2019 Assembly polls." He said that the JJP's alliance ended after Manohar Lal Khattar was replaced as chief minister with Nayab Singh Saini in March.

On Dushyant, Babli said he talks about issuing a party whip every now and then projecting he is in command. "How can he say that without taking view of his MLAs?" "He does not consult his party MLAs. Then he wrote the letter, but did not consult his legislators as he should have in a democratic system.

"He (Dushyant) wants to thrust his decisions, which as an MLA, I cannot tolerate and I think many of our party legislators will also not tolerate," Babli said.

"In a democratic system, suggestions are sought from MLA colleagues, which has not been the case here," he added.

He said that in the past few weeks several party leaders, including its Haryana unit chief Nishan Singh, left the JJP, but no effort was made to stop them.

This is not leadership, but dictatorship and this does not work for long, he said.

JJP MLA from Julana Amarjeet Dhanda expressed strong objection to the language used by Babli and said that despite his losing assembly election twice before, he was fielded as a candidate by the JJP in 2019 and eventually was made a minister.

He said that Babli is changing his allegiance and ideology out of greed.

"Babli has become blinded by political greed and is losing mental balance," he alleged.

Earlier this week, three Independents withdrew their support to the Nayab Singh Saini government in Haryana after which the opposition has claimed that the BJP dispensation is in minority and has urged the Governor to dismiss it and impose President's rule until the elections are held.