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The BJP has entered into a post-poll alliance with the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) to form the government in Haryana. Chautala will be made Deputy Chief Minister as part of the pact announced by Union Home Minister and BJP President Amit Shah. Manohar Lal Khattar will continue to be the Chief Minister. The BJP’s MLAs are to meet on Saturday to formally elect Khattar as their leader.
With 40 MLAs, the BJP was six short of a simple majority in the 90-member House. However, the party has also claimed the support of seven Independents, the INLD and the Haryana Lokhit Party, both of which have one MLA each.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah were clear about claiming power though the results had thrown up a hung Assembly on Friday. The same night, Khattar was summoned to Delhi and the ruling party started reaching out to Independents and other parties, including Dushyant, to circumvent any move by the Congress to cobble together a majority. The Congress has 31 MLAs in the Haryana Assembly.
Dushyant gathered his party’s national executive in Delhi a day after the election results and made it clear that the BJP was not untouchable in his scheme of things. Sources in his party said the JJP sought to cut an “honourable deal” with the BJP, with Dushyant clinching the Deputy CM post CM and at least two Cabinet berths for his party.
The BJP was also keen to take the JJP as an ally to pacify the Jat community, which is agitated with the ruling party not just in Haryana but also in neighbouring Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Other parties’ support
INLD’s Abhay Chautala is also expected to support the BJP. Haryana Lokhit Party leader and MLA Gopal Kanda’s offer to support has created a controversy as Opposition leaders said the BJP is ready to accept anyone’s support to form a government. Kanda is facing cases over alleged abetment to the suicide of a mother and a daughter.
The Congress leadership too met at party president Sonia Gandhi’s residence to assess the situation. The Congress said that the BJP has been decisively rejected in Haryana. “Those who thought that they will get a 75-plus mandate have not even touched the majority mark. They have no right to form a government. Defections are again coming to play with the allurement of money and power,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.
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