BSP chief Mayawati (Files)
After two decades, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have again entered into a poll alliance in Haryana. The seat-sharing exercise will be done ahead of the Assembly polls, which are due in Haryana in October 2019. INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala and BSP’s Haryana in-charge Dr Meghraj Singh, at a joint press conference Wednesday, announced the poll alliance for Assembly as well Lok Sabha polls.
Chautala has termed the move as “an alliance of dalits, backward classes and farmers, along with ‘kameras’ (labour class) to make the state “BJP-mukt”. Chautala also said that a non-BJP and non-Congress Third Front would be formed under the leadership of BSP supremo Mayawati in the country. “The responsibility of Third Front has been given to Behan Mayawati,” he said.
BSP leader Meghraj Singh, who is his party’s in-charge of five states, including Union Territory Chandigarh, said, “Behan ji (Mayawati) has taken the decision on the alliance and given me directions to make an announcement regarding the alliance.” Singh was accompanied by Haryana BSP president Prakash Bharti.
Asked about the seat-sharing, Chautala said, “It’s like a brother-sister alliance of Rakshabandhan. When the polls approach, we would annonce the seats.”
In 1998, said Prakash Bharti, the INLD and BSP had fought all 10 seats of Lok Sabha in alliance. INLD contested seven seats, leaving three for the BSP. INLD won four seats while the BSP opened its account. The alliance, however, did not continue for long.
Scheduled castes form 20% of Haryana’s population while Jats share is around 25%.
INLD had earlier announced to launch ‘Jail Bharo Andalon’ from Bhiwani from May 1 to press for the demand of construction of Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.
Dr Meghraj Singh announced Wednesday that the lone party MLA from Haryana, Tek Chand Sharma, has been suspended from the party for not working as per its ideology.