lok-sabha-elections

Updated: May 01, 2019 12:50 IST

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) suffered another setback with its legislator from Ferozepur Jhirka, Naseem Ahmed joining the Congress on Tuesday. Another INLD leader, Mohammad Illyas who, in February, had switched sides to join Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) also joined the Congress.

Announcing the duo’s induction in the Congress, party in-charge for Haryana, Ghulam Nabi Azad said in New Delhi that both the Meo-Muslim leaders will give a fillip to the campaign of the party candidate in Gurgaon parliamentary constituency. Three assembly constituencies of Meo Muslim dominated Mewat district—Punhana, Ferozepur Jhirka and Nuh—are a part of Gurgaon Lok Sabha seat. The INLD had won two seats in Mewat district – Nuh and Punhana—in the 2014 assembly elections.

Naseem Ahmed, son of former Congress minister Shakrullah Khan, is a two-time INLD MLA. Mohammad Illyas remained a minister in the INLD government from 2000 to 2005 when Om Prakash Chautala was the chief minister.

The latest desertion of Naseem Ahmed is a setback for the INLD in Mewat region and indicates the party’s declining fortunes in the state. Party’s Nalwa MLA, Ranbir Gangwa and Hathin legislator, Kehar Singh recently quit the party to join the BJP. Four other INLD MLAs, Rajdeep Phogat (Dadri), Anoop Dhanak (Uklana), Naina Chautala (Dabwali) and Pirthi Singh (Narwana) are facing disqualification proceedings for siding with the JJP.