Despite alliance with BJP, testing times for JJP in Haryana
Deepender Deswal
Hisar, March 8
Even as the BJP is maintaining a silence over the issue of seat-sharing with the JJP-coalition partner in the Haryana Government, the JJP leadership seems to be keen on contesting on some of the Lok Sabha seats, Hisar seat being their priority.
No formal discussion with BJP
The silence of the BJP leader is baffling. There has been no formal discussion with the BJP over the Lok Sabha poll tie-up in Haryana. — JJP party worker
JJP formed after split in INLD
JJP was formed on December 9, 2018, after a split in the INLD. A breakaway faction of the Chautala family headed by Ajay Chautala and his son Dushyant and Digvijay, formed the JJP.
The heightened activities of the JJP leaders indicated that the party was preparing its ground for joining the electoral battle in Hisar, which was represented by senior leader Dushyant Chautala from 2014 to 2019 in the Lok Sabha. Dushyant is the Deputy Chief Minister in the Mahohar Lal Khattar-led coalition government in Haryana.
Dushyant held a closed door party workers meeting at a resort here yesterday. The party workers said amid uncertainty whether the BJP was intending to accommodate ‘seats’ or not with the JJP in Haryana, the party leadership had been weighing its options. “We will contest the poll with or without the alliance in Haryana. The participation in the general elections is a must for any political party,” said one of the party leaders.
Political experts said the recent hectic meetings of the party supremo Ajay Singh Chautala in the Hisar and Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha constituencies had indicated that they were concentrating on these two segments for the parliamentary elections. Though Ajay Singh Chautala and other party leaders had reiterated that they would be working towards strengthening the NDA for ensuring the third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they remained silent on the question of alliance with the BJP.
The political experts said it was testing time for the JJP leadership. “After staying in the alliance with the BJP for about four and half years in the Haryana Government, it is going to be a tough challenge for the party leadership to take a call on their own. The silence of the BJP leader is baffling. There has been no formal discussion with the BJP over the Lok Sabha poll tie-up in Haryana,” reiterated another party worker.
“Though Dushyant who has shown strong nerves during his stint as the Deputy CM, the vibes in the field are not positive for the party. The major chunk of the support base in Haryana had expressed their unhappiness over the alliance with the BJP. We have been in the wait and watch mode until there is clarity from the BJP side as well,” he said.
Digvijay Singh, JJP general secretary, stated that people of Hisar needed a ‘karamyogi’ (hardworking) MP like Dushyant. “People of Hisar still remember the tenure of Dushyant because they want a hardworking MP and not a dummy one. Dushyant used to raise issues of public interest in Parliament. He carried out innumerable works of development in the Lok Sabha segment. We have a family relation with the entire constituency and it is not just a political segment for the family,” he stated during a public meeting in Barwala in Hisar district.
Digvijay said the party would show its strength in the rally on March 13 in Hisar, which would also coincide with the birthday of party supremo Ajay Singh Chautala.
Political expert Madan Lal Goyal said the BJP’s silence seemed to be a pressure tactic on the JJP to climb down on its demand of seats. “Being an alliance partner, the JJP is hoping for two to three or more seats from the BJP. But, the BJP has realised the ground reality that the JJP traditional voters are not happy with it,” he said. Prof Goyal said the BJP also did not want to send out a wrong message that it was ignoring the alliance partners of the NDA at the national level. “In my opinion, the two parties can settle down on one seat for the JJP in Haryana.
