Naina Chautala, former MLA of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and mother of Haryana’s ex-Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, strongly criticized BJP leader Anoop Dhanak for leaving the JJP just days before the October 5 Assembly elections. During the inauguration of the campaign office for JJP candidate Krishan Gangwa in Adampur, she referred to Dhanak as a “black cobra,” implying betrayal.
“We gave Anoop love and respect, but even a two-faced snake is better than him. At least with a snake, you know where it will strike. God gave Anoop the face of a black cobra, and he turned out to be just that — a cobra. He sold out like cattle at a market,” Naina Chautala stated.
Anoop Dhanak was elected as a JJP candidate in the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections and served as a Minister of State in the coalition government between the JJP and BJP. He had been a staunch supporter of the Chautala family, particularly Ajay Chautala and Dushyant Chautala, and was among the earliest to back Ajay Chautala when the JJP was formed in December 2018 after a split from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).
However, in a surprising move before the 2024 Assembly polls, Dhanak resigned from the JJP and joined the BJP. The BJP subsequently gave him a ticket to contest the upcoming elections from the Uklana constituency in Hisar district.
Naina Chautala expressed disappointment with former JJP allies who have since allied with rival political parties. She emphasized that the JJP had worked diligently to elevate leaders from backward and scheduled castes, including Dhanak, by providing them with significant leadership roles. “We left no stone unturned in giving respect to the SC and backward classes. We even made Anoop Dhanak a state minister. But no one wears a sign on their forehead that says they will stab you in the back. When someone stands with us, they are ours,” she remarked.
She also urged JJP supporters to campaign against Dhanak in the upcoming election. “I remember seeing him when his sandals had holes in them, and today he walks with his head held high. If you have any relations in Uklana, I urge you to campaign against him and make sure he is defeated, so he knows the consequences of betraying the Devi Lal family,” she added.
The elections for Haryana’s 90 Assembly seats are scheduled for October 5, with the results to be announced on October 8.
