INLD MLA Balwan Singh Daulatpuria joins BJP in Haryana

In a fresh setback to the opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Haryana, its sitting MLA from Fatehabad constituency Balwan Singh Daulatpuria joined the ruling BJP on Friday.

Daulatpuria announced his decision to quit the INLD at a meeting of BJP workers in Fatehabad.

He was welcomed into the BJP fold by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The BJP's Haryana unit chief Subhash Barala and newly elected MP of the party from Sirsa, Sunita Duggal were also present in the meeting.

The INLD, which is led by former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, has been hit by a series of desertions ever since the party witnessed a vertical split last year owing to feud in the Chautala family. The Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) was formed by Dushyant Chautala, the grandson of Om Prakash Chautala.

As many as eight INLD legislators have deserted the party in recent months and joined BJP, JJP and the Congress.

A few months ago, Daulatpuria had filed a petition before the Assembly Speaker seeking disqualification of four INLD MLAs, including Naina Chautala, who had joined the Jannayak Janata Party without resigning from the INLD.

The INLD received a severe drubbing in the recently held Lok Sabha polls and its candidates on all the 10 seats in Haryana lost security deposits.