 "BJP-JJP alliance was not forged, Haryana needed stable govt: Chautala")
Amid signs of differences between the BJP and its ally JJP, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Friday said the alliance between the two parties after the 2019 assembly polls was forged to form a stable government in the state and not due to any compulsion.
The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader asserted that the alliance was finalised after the October 2019 polls in the presence of senior BJP leader and now Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
After the Haryana Assembly polls, BJP had won 40 seats in the 90-member House, though last year it added one more MLA into its kitty after winning the Adampur bypolls, in which JJP won 10 seats.
Both outfits, who had fought against each other, forged a tie-up and formed the government.
In the present House, BJP has 41 seats, Congress 30 and JJP 10. While six out of seven Independents support BJP, one each member belongs to Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP), which, too, is supporting the M L Khattar-led government.
On Thursday, four independent MLAs from Haryana, all of whom are supporting the Khattar government, met BJP in-charge for the state Biplab Kumar Deb in Delhi.
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On Friday, HLP chief and legislator Gopal Kanda, whose party is also supporting the government, met Deb in the national capital.
On asking whether differences have cropped up between the two allies after some statements were made by the leaders of the two sides, Chautala said, "Both the parties had discussed ways to maintain a stable government in the state and only after that the alliance was forged with a mutual consent. It was neither my nor BJP's compulsion.
"State needed a stable government and we delivered on that. Today, Haryana is making progress...I dont think anyone did any favour on anyone," he added.
He said right from the beginning of this alliance he has been hearing that it won't last three months with others saying that it will break within a year.
"The day there will be any "talkhi" (bitterness in relations), I think you (media) people won't even get a chance to ask," the deputy CM said.
"I am very clear that state should have a stable government and it should progress and with this thought, I am doing my work and I think others, who are a part of this government, are also doing the same," he said.
When asked if BJP and JJP will fight the next year's polls together, he replied, "that will be decided by the leadership of the two parties and I think both parties want to walk together".
When asked whether he see any fissures in the alliance, Sombir Sangwan, one of the four Independent MLAs who met Deb, said, "As far as I am concerned, BJP is at loss with the continuation of this alliance".
He claimed that people are unhappy with the JJP and if this alliance continues, the BJP will have to bear the loss.
"Twenty-five per cent more people will connect with BJP if this alliance breaks," Sangwan further said, claiming that BJP did not need JJP for a stable government as it enjoyed the support of most Independents.
Deb had recently said the JJP did no favour to the BJP by supporting it as the regional party also joined the government. Some JJP leaders had later made counter statements.
Both parties have been non-committal on whether they would contest the 2024 assembly polls together.
Gopal Kanda said right from the start his party is supporting the BJP.
He said during his meeting with Deb they discussed the state's political scenario and how to take forward the policies and programmes of BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state.
Like Sangwan, Kanda also felt that BJP did not need JJP's support.
"Even if JJP is not with BJP, there is no danger to the government and it will still run," Kanda said.
Meanwhile, Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan took a potshot at both parties, saying, "We have been saying this right from the beginning that the BJP-JJP alliance is not a 'gathbandhan', but a 'thug bandhan', one based on interest and not based on any ideology".
"BJP has always betrayed their allies, be it INLD, now is the turn of JJP, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, Nitish Kumar, whoever worked with them, their party has been finished, he said.
"BJP is adopting the use and throw policy for JJP," Bhan claimed.