Haryana: INLD fails to field candidates on all 90 seats

In dire straits, Haryana’s principal Opposition party of 2014, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), did not even field candidates on all the 90 Assembly seats in Haryana.

The Chautala-led INLD fielded only 81 candidates, while its total tally of candidates including those of its ally Akali Dal, remained at 86 nominees at the end of filing of nomination for the October 21 Haryana elections.

The INLD may be downplaying the issue terming it a ‘tactical’ move, but the party’s inability to field candidates on all 90 seats arguably indicates the party’s falling political stock.

Much of the downfall of the party has come about after the split in the INLD post a family feud in the Chautala family.

The INLD was the main Opposition party in the state both in 2009 and 2014 Assembly polls.

Four seats where the INLD-SAD combine hasn’t fielded candidates are Karnal (Chief Minister Khattar’s constituency), Meham, Sirsa and Ambala City.

Sources said that the decision not to project INLD candidates on these seats was a tactical move aimed at supporting independent candidates.

The INLD, with 19 MLAs, had a vote share of over 24% in the last Assembly elections. However, in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the INLD vote share plunged to a meager 1.89%.