Commonplace wisdom would suggest that the top most leader of a political party in the concluding and most fierce lap of electioneering could deliver a deathly blow to its poll prospect. But when convicted Om Prakash Chautala, chief of Indian National Lok Dal returns to Tihar jail on orders of High Court after the CBI complained that he was misusing the bail granted on health grounds, he receives huge sympathy from his supporters, the dominant Jat community in particular.
INLD Chief Om Prakash Chautala. AFP
The INLD leaders and workers are concerned that 'Chautala Senior' will yet again be confined in the high securityTihar jail in Delhi but they don’t seem to be particularly worried. Some are taking this as a blessing in disguise, hoping or even believing that this will positively impact the minds, not just of the Jats but also of a section of voters from other communities.
After all, Chautala, in whatever public rallies he held during his bail, has successfully delivered his message. At least that’s what his supporters claim. “He didn’t go to jail for some crime or for indulging in corrupt practices. He was sent to jail because his political rivals conspired against him. He gave school teachers jobs to 3,200 young unemployed persons. Is that a crime? That’s a service government is expected to do. Moreover, Chaulatalaji himself said if he comes to power this time he will give jobs to 3,20,000 persons,” says Ram Mehar Raparia an INLD worker. Raparia, along with other fellow party workers, were having a Hukka session at Bahu Akbarpur and sounded very confident of “turning the tide” in his favour.
Another INLD worker also present at the session came out with an interesting logic. “The situation for us could have been different if he was convicted for amassing wealth like Jayalalithaa. But Chautalaji had been working for welfare of society at large. Tell me if the selection process was wrong why didn't the court negate the appointment of 3,200 teachers? They are still working. This means that our leader was right.”
Earlier on Friday morning, Chautala was scheduled to address a public rally in Meham. The INLD chief obviously couldn't be there because he had to be present in court for his bail hearing. His son Abhay Chautala held fort and spewed venom against the BJP and the Congress. The central theme of his speech was the misuse of the “caged CBI parrot” by the Centre – first by the Congress and now by the BJP.
His words became the talking point. None of the INLD supporters cared to ponder, if Chautala was so upright, why did the judiciary turn against him? Was judiciary not acting on merits of the case? Or how could Chautala, convicted for 10 years, become chief minister? While some figured out their own reasoning, the most interesting opinion came from a man named Sona Singh in Meham: “You see, Jats are a hugely emotional community. They would not have been called Jats if they thought everything as rationally or analysed it legally as you are trying to do.”
Vijendra Balhara in Hassi explains: “You have to see the context. A government job is valued immensely. Cahutala delivered that to around 3,200 families, through fair means or otherwise. People in our community admire someone who has the courage and stand by whatever he has done.”
But didn’t Bhupinder Singh Hooda, two-time chief minister too deliver? They agree that he too has done some good work. Hooda has his share of support with community but that now is mostly confined in Rohtak, Jhajjah and to an extent in Sonepat.
What about the BJP, which has given tickets to over two dozen Jats, largest among all four parties in the fray? The BJP had got Jat votes in the parliamentary elections, not just in Haryana but also in UP, Delhi and Rajasthan. The BJP does have any prominent Jat from among its own ranks. They are, like Chaudhary Virendra Singh, borrowed from Congress or some from INLD. The BJP’s own Capt Abhimanyu is much younger and does not have stature of a Hooda or Chautala.
Hooda is trying hard to convince his fellow community men and others that Chautala was going to be in jail for the next 10 years. The INLD chief was only fooling the people by claiming that he would take oath as chief minister from jail: “Chautala is taking you for a ride. If he could go to jail because he gave jobs to some 3000 persons then I should be hanged because I gave teachers job to 65,000. He has not done a single work for the farmer (Jat) community. Can he or his supporter name one thing that he has done? CM bana do, CM bana do. Are kaise bana de. He (Chautala) claims that he would take oath of CM office from jail. As if there is no law or constitution in the country. He can’t even fight elections then how does he claim to become chief minister. INLD’s CM candidate is in jail and BJP does not have a CM candidate. That leaves only me, the bana-banaya(incumbent) chief minister. I am here. Make me the CM for the third time.”
Hooda and BJP supporters hope and wish that the majority in the Jat community realise the follies of supporting a jailed Chautala. They have another two and half days to convince a community, which is more emotional than rational.
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