The Indian National Lok Dal’s (INLD) national president Abhay Chautala declared that his party would seek to keep both the BJP and Congress out of power and form its own government in Haryana.

Addressing the INLD’s Samman Diwas rally in Mewat for the first time to mark Devi Lal’s 113th birth anniversary, INLD national president Abhay Chautala said, “The BJP will be removed from power, the Congress will be kept away from power and INLD will form the government,” Chautala sought to frame the rally as the beginning of a fresh political mobilisation.

The choice of Nuh is significant for a party whose traditional political base has largely been associated with the Jat-dominated rural belt of Haryana. By bringing its flagship annual rally to Mewat, the INLD sought to project itself beyond its traditional geography and reconnect with voters in a region where it has struggled to establish a sustained electoral presence.

Chautala repeatedly invoked the political relationship of Devi Lal and former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala with Mewat, saying the two leaders had continued to visit the region irrespective of whether they were in government or opposition.

He promised that if the INLD returned to power, the party would expand infrastructure and public facilities in Mewat and develop the region “on the lines of Gurugram”.

The political messaging was sharply directed at both major parties. Chautala described the BJP government as “anti-people” and alleged that Haryana, once identified with agriculture, sports and employment, was now being discussed for drugs, unemployment, crime, paper leaks and farmers’ protests.

He also targeted the Congress, calling it the BJP’s “B team” and alleging that the party had contributed to the BJP’s return to power in the 2024 Assembly elections. The allegations were part of Chautala’s broader effort to position the INLD as the alternative to both parties.

Drawing a parallel with Devi Lal’s 1989 birthday rally at Delhi’s Boat Club, Chautala said that gathering had conveyed a political message that the Congress was on its way out and a Janata Dal government under Devi Lal was coming to power.

“Today’s rally has also made it clear that the BJP is going out of power, the Congress will be kept away and an INLD government will be formed,” he said.

The rally also gave the INLD an opportunity to underline its organisational expansion. Former Rewari MLA Raghu Yadav joined the party, while several other leaders and workers from the region also announced their association with the INLD.

The party said its next phase of mobilisation would begin in November, when Chautala and state president Rampal Majra would undertake a village-to-village campaign to attack the policies and records of both the BJP and Congress.

Messages from Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee and Rashtriya Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary were also conveyed at the rally, while Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary addressed the gathering.

The scale of the event — held at a venue spread over around 75 acres — was central to the INLD’s political projection. The crowds carrying green party flags gathered in Nuh, with traffic disruptions reported on roads linking Sohna, Nuh and Tauru.

For the INLD, however, the more important message was geographical. By taking the Devi Lal anniversary rally to Mewat, the party sought to signal that its political campaign is no longer confined to its traditional strongholds and that it intends to make a renewed bid for relevance in southern Haryana, including Nuh.

Neeraj Mohan is a senior journalist known for his in-depth reporting on political, agricultural, environmental, and socio-economic issues. Currently serving with Hindustan Times, he has a reputation for grassroots journalism and extensive field reporting. Over the years, he has also worked with The Tribune and The Sunday Guardian, covering politics, governance, farmer movements, rural distress, environmental challenges, and public policy issues in North India. Alongside political coverage, he is widely recognised for his human-interest stories that highlight the struggles and aspirations of ordinary people. His journalism combines factual analysis with on-ground narratives, making his work insightful, balanced, and closely connected to grassroots realities.Read More