‘Unemployment’s the biggest problem in Haryana … Jannayak Janata Party is going to be a strong force in 2019 elections’

The political situation in Haryana took an interesting turn after the Chautala family, which dominates the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), was unable to reconcile internal differences. The consequence was a split in INLD in November and the formation of a new regional political party, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). Dushyant Chautala, who in 2014 was elected to Lok Sabha as an INLD candidate from Hisar, is one of the architects of JJP. He spoke to Ajay Sura about the party’s agenda and prospects in the forthcoming 2019 general and Haryana assembly elections:

Your politics is seen as an extension of the ‘Tau’ (Devi Lal) legacy in Indian politics which focussed on farmers. How is that relevant now?

Unemployment is the biggest problem in Haryana. The youth of the state are either dependent on government jobs or ancestral farmland for livelihood, which is shrinking. My exposure to global trends and experience abroad says that if small scale industry is encouraged, youth from the state would benefit.

My great grandfather, Devi Lal, brought farmers into focus in national politics and no one after him could understand or focus on the agriculture sector to that extent. I would try to live up to the expectations of people who remember my great grandfather while looking at our work. Farmers are the soul of our nation, but unfortunately their issues are being neglected.

How would your party counter the organisational strengths of BJP and Congress?

My father Ajay Singh Chautala handled the affairs of our previous party, INLD, for around three decades. He knows every nook and corner of Haryana and has a very strong base of workers across the state. JJP is primarily strengthened by that force of energetic people. We are developing a highly organised structure for the party and it will be announced soon.

Questions are being raised over the survival of a new political party in the present time. Stalwarts who had formed separate outfits had to return to their parent parties.

I know several top leaders, including former chief ministers Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal, who had formed their own outfits but had to merge with their parent party. But the circumstances in which we had to form JJP and the massive response that we have been receiving for the past two months, have ensured that JJP is going to be a strong force in 2019 elections. Our party held a rally in Jind on December 9 that was attended by lakhs of people. It was announced just days back and people across Haryana are talking about our party. JJP is already a big concern for political forces in Haryana and we are determined to register victory in our first election in 2019.

Will you contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls?

It is up to the party now as it earlier was in my previous party. I am ready to contest any election from anywhere in the state, and I will happily do so if I get responsibility in the party. My party will decide all such matters as we move ahead.

You are being accused of aspiring for the CM’s post at a very young age.

Having my grandfather OP Chautala as supremo of my earlier party and my father as executive leader, I could not even think of any such aspiration. After their conviction (both are serving jail terms in connection with corruption charges related to recruitment of teachers) because of Congress propaganda against us, our party was being led by its state unit president. I never expressed any desire or did anything to get a role as the party’s face. Yes, as my then party (INLD) asked me to contest from Hisar, I aspired to be an MP. Even now, it’s the people and JJP’s office-bearers who will decide what responsibilities I get in future.

Have the Chautala family ties been affected after the INLD split? Whom do you hold responsible for this split in one of the oldest political families in the country?

JJP is my family now. As far as the split and forces responsible behind that are concerned, we have moved on and would prefer to look ahead. My father has already explained about those responsible for the split. Now it’s JJP and 2019 elections that we have our eyes on.