 "We felt neglected in alliance with BJP, says JJP Chief Dushyant Chautala")
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of neglecting the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), former Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said in a public rally in Haryana's Hisar.
"We were a part of that government for four and a half years for the development of Haryana. In five years, just one meeting of the NDA was held in which I, along with Ajay Singh Chautala, participated. However, what decision did they (BJP) make in the end?" he said.
Addressing the rally, he further said that JJP was prepared to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on just two seats. "We followed ethics of our alliance and started preparing to contest on two seats," the JJP leader lamented.
In a high-voltage drama on March 12, Manohar Lal Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana from the BJP, tendered his resignation amid speculations of escalating tensions with coalition partner JJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Khattar was replaced by the party's state unit chief, Nayab Singh Saini, as the new chief minister.
The relationship between the BJP and the JJP, led by Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, soured following their inability to finalise a seat-sharing arrangement in the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The BJP had secured victory in all 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana during the 2019 elections. Reports suggested that the BJP was uncomfortable with sharing two seats with the JJP in the upcoming LS elections.
In 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP had fallen short of the majority mark and formed a coalition government with the JJP. The BJP retained four of its 13 ministers in the new Council of Ministers, while no representation was given to the ally JJP.
Following the political development, the JJP called a meeting in Delhi of its leaders, but at least five of its legislators skipped the meeting.