Dushyant Chautala, the former Deputy Chief Minister and leader of the Jannayak Janta Party, is vying for a seat in the upcoming Haryana Assembly election from his family stronghold in Uchana Kalan, Jind district. In an interview with The Hindu, he discusses a range of topics, such as the hurdles his party faces, the alliance with the Azad Samaj Party, and insights from his past experiences.
With your party witnessing a decline in support and several workers and MLAs deserting ahead of the elections, how do you intend to tackle these challenges?
Political history is replete with examples of parties overcoming tough times. Such fluctuations are a natural part of the political landscape. Every election presents hurdles, and those who navigate through them successfully form the government. We aim to broaden our support base, welcome more individuals into our party, and equip them with the necessary training. We will put in extra effort and progress onwards.
In a recent social media post, you mentioned that you were learning from your past errors. What specific mistakes were you referring to?
I hold the belief that perfection is unattainable. Therefore, any shortcomings in my political choices or governance are my mistakes. While I believe there haven’t been any, if others perceive it differently, I am open to making improvements.
Could you elaborate further?
I often consider the sentiments of the public and my supporters. When I interact with people, many express that I should have resigned during the farmers’ protests. I failed to grasp their sentiments at that time, and I acknowledge that it was likely my oversight.
How do you plan to address the public’s discontent regarding the JJP’s alliance with the BJP and your party’s stance during the farmers’ protests?
People are understandably upset, but one must consider how long this can persist. It cannot last indefinitely. We had commitments to fulfill that we made during the election, which could not be realized from the Opposition. For instance, the monthly pension for the elderly in Haryana has been raised to ₹3,000 due to our initiatives. I believe the citizens will recognize this. We’ve also implemented 50% reservation for women in panchayati raj institutions and 8% reservation for OBC (A) categories. Achievements like these could only materialize because we were part of the government. While in Opposition, my role was limited to criticism, unable to actualize promises.
However, the two principal commitments of your party—75% reservation for local youth in private jobs and ₹5,100 per month pension for the elderly—remain unmet.
We’ve passed legislation for 75% reservation in private sector jobs in the State Assembly, which is currently under judicial review. Similar situations exist with numerous policies from the Union government over the last decade. The Supreme Court has yet to invalidate our law. We managed to raise the old age pension from ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 as a part of the government led by the BJP. While the BJP is in power across 18 States, none of them offer pensions exceeding ₹1,000. Am I to believe that my party had no influence over the pension increase? Although my party held a 20% stake in the government, we still accomplished significant changes. I feel we did well enough.
Your party and your ally, the Azad Samaj Party, have differing voter demographics, which seem incompatible in practice. How do you manage coordination?
We perceive our voter base as unified. Our focus is on individuals under 55 years old, who constitute about 60% of the electorate in the State. If we can secure a majority from this demographic, we have the potential to form a government of our own.
Nonetheless, both parties appeal to distinct caste groups.
Our mindset doesn’t revolve around caste politics. Our mutual objective is to empower the youth, and we have a distinct vision for them and for the State.
What are your thoughts on the Haryana Assembly elections? What role do you foresee for your alliance following the results?
I anticipate a hung Assembly in Haryana, whereby our alliance will play a pivotal role. Our immediate focus is to secure the maximum number of seats. Once we attain those numbers, we will deliberate on our future steps.
Do you feel remorse for the post-election alliance with the BJP after the 2019 Assembly election?
I do not regret forming an alliance with the BJP, but I do regret standing alongside them during the farmers’ protests.
Published – September 28, 2024 02:11 am IST
