Stage set for INLD’s Kaithal rally, no clarity over Congress’ participation
Several political bigwigs, especially top leaders from the opposition’s newly-formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) are likely to reach Kaithal to attend the rally
The stage is set for the Indian National Lok Dal’s (INLD) rally being organised to mark the 110th birth anniversary of the party patriarch late Devi Lal at Kaithal on Monday.
Several political bigwigs, especially top leaders from the opposition’s newly-formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) are likely to reach Kaithal to attend the rally, which is being tipped as the biggest-ever political rally in north India by the INLD.
Since being reduced to a solitary seat in the last assembly election and a paltry 2.44% votes following a vertical split in the Chautala family and formation of the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) by former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala’s elder son Ajay Chautala, INLD leadership has struggled to revive its fortunes in the state ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
The INLD seems keen to join the INDIA bloc, with the INLD’s lone legislator Abhay Chautala on several occasions saying the foundation of the united alliance was laid at INLD’s Fatehabad rally last year, one which was attended by several leaders who are a part of the new alliance. Abhay, even crossed the threshold and perhaps for the first time reached the Congress’ doorsteps, inviting party president Mallikarjun Kharge to the rally.
Abhay, who is also among the most vocal critics of the former chief minister (CM) and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had already clarified that the party will invite only top Congress leaders.
The INLD, meanwhile, had sent invitations to most of the leaders of the INDIA bloc including Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, West Bengal CM Mamta Benerjee, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav of tje Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, Communist Party of Indian (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Azad Samaj Party and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan, former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Sukhbir Badal, Rashtriya Lok Dal’s Jayant Chaudhary among others.
“Most leaders have already given their consent to attend the rally but as of now there is no confirmation from the Congress party yet,” a functionary of the INLD not wishing to be named said.
“Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress is likely to come in place of Mamta Banerjee and as of now there is no confirmation from the Akhilesh Yadav yet”, he added.
But the Congress is keeping its cards close to its chest and, as of now, there has been no confirmation whether any leader from the party will attend the rally.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), meanwhile, has decided to not attend the rally as confirmed by the party’s state unit president Sushil Gupta.
The INLD is leaving no stone unturned to make the rally successful as it will double as the culmination of Abhay Chautala’s 193-day “Parivartan Padyatra” that he undertook in the state covering 82 constituencies.
“The rally is not only the beginning of the end of the present misrule and this rally will change the political map of the country”, OP Chautala said in a video message inviting people to attend the rally.