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
Amid speculations that the Bharatiya Janata Janata (BJP) may snap ties with Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) ahead of Haryana assembly elections next year, CM Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said BJP Haryana in-charge Biplab Deb will decide on the future of alliance with the JJP.
Read More: ‘It Will Be Similar to Political Suicide’: Local Leaders Wary of TDP-BJP Alliance Buzz in Telangana
Khattar, who met Deb at his official residence in Chandigarh today, said, the BJP entered into an alliance with the JJP in the interest of the people.
“There was no party with a majority, so an understanding was made. The JJP came on board. Independent MLAs also supported us. The Congress only has 30 MLAs. Barring a couple of others, the rest are all with us,” Indian Express quoted Khattar as saying.
“What happens now is for our party affairs in charge to decide, in the interest of the party. Only he can explain the reasons behind his meeting people… Yes, he [Deb] met me, but we discussed other issues,” he added.
Read More: ‘Sulah ka Formula’: Congress’ Plan to Abort Pilot’s Take Off Amid Rumours of Him Floating New Party
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.
The questions on the BJP-JJP alliance began to raise after Deb reportedly met four Independent MLAs and Haryana Lokhit Party MLA Gopal Kanda in Delhi.
BJP-JJP ALLIANCE WAS NOT FORGED DUE TO COMPULSION: CHAUTALA
Earlier, JJP leader and Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala 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 JJP leader asserted that the alliance was finalised after the October 2019 polls in the presence of senior BJP leader Amit Shah.
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 don’t think anyone did any favour on anyone.”
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.
BJP is at Loss with Continuation of Alliance with JJP: Independent MLA
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 a 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.
(With PTI inputs)
