Haryana MC Poll: AAP threat behind BJP-JJP alliance?

Pradeep Sharma

Chandigarh, June 3

The intervention by the party high command and the threat posed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seem to be the reasons behind the U-turn by the BJP on the decision to fight the June 19 municipal elections in the state in alliance with its coalition partner JJP.

On May 28, state BJP chief OP Dhankar had announced that the BJP would go alone in the elections to the 46 municipalities in the state, triggering speculation of fissures within the BJP-JJP alliance. However, Dhankar, last night, announced that the BJP would fight election in alliance with the JJP.

BJP fears facing electorate

The BJP U-turn on fighting MC polls in alliance with the JJP within a week is clear indication that the party is fighting shy of facing the electorate alone for the fear of voters’ backlash in view of its various acts of omission and commission. —Sushil Gupta, AAP Haryana in-charge

It is learnt that the announcement to contest the MC polls in alliance with the JJP was the outcome of the intervention by the BJP party high command. The high command reportedly rushed Vinod Tawde, BJP Haryana in charge, to the state to resolve the matter, as the BJP’s “unilateral” decision on fighting the MC polls alone had not gone well with a section of the state and central leadership.

It was argued that the decision to fight the election separately days ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on June 10 would send a wrong message to the voters in the state. The JJP had backed the Independent candidate for the Rajya Sabha Kartikeya Sharma, while the BJP is also likely to support him in a bid to embarrass the Congress, which is fearing cross-voting by certain MLAs. Dhankar asserted that since the Congress was not contesting MC polls on party symbol, the decision to fight elections in alliance with the JJP had been taken in the “changed circumstances”.

However, the BJP-JJP leadership is not discounting the threat posed by the AAP, which is upbeat after its stupendous success in the neighbouring Punjab. The AAP is fighting election on its symbol for the first time in Haryana.