BJP is unfazed mainly after over two dozen prominent leaders of both INLD and Congress joined the party.With Assembly elections due in Haryana in October, the fledgling Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) became first off the mark and announce that it will contest the polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
With BJP blowing the poll bugle with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally in Jind, the opposition parties are now desperately looking for alliance partners and may even opt for a Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) to take on the ruling party, which aiming at winning 75 of the 90 seats in the Vidhan Sabha. The BJP, riding high on its comprehensive victory in this year’s Lok Sabha polls, is likely to go all alone.
The two main opposition parties in Haryana – Congress and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) – have suffered major blows in the last six months with more than 30 of their leaders, including sitting and former MPs and MLAs, deserting them to join the ruling BJP.
In the 2104 Assembly polls, INLD had won 19 seats, the Congress 15 while BJP had secured an absolute majority with 47 seats. As the state heads for polls, INLD is left with just four MLAs – party leader Abhay Chautala and three other including Ved Narang, Nagender Bhadana and Om Prakash Barwa. On the other hand, the ongoing infighting in Congress is at an all time high with former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda throwing ample signs of parting ways with Congress and announcing a separate political party.
All eyes are on Hooda’s August 18 parivartan rally to be held in Rohtak. Hooda, who has at least 12 incumbent MLAs and scores of former MPs and MLAs on his side, has already indicated that if party high command does not replace state unit chief Ashok Tanwar, “anything would be possible”.
Hooda has also given an open invitation to anybody who wants to join him on April 18. “Anybody who is willing to oust BJP from Haryana is welcome to join us,” Hooda said.
Abhay Chautala too had been saying that he is open to alliance with any political party, but will not approach anybody. “However, if anybody comes with a proposal of alliance, it will be considered,” Abhay said. More alliances and leaders switching sides are expected in the run up to the polls.
Although Aam Aadmi Party has announced to go solo as it makes debut in Haryana state electoral politics, there are speculations that it may join hands with JJP-BSP alliance. BJP rebel and former Kurukshetra MP Ramkumar Saini led Loktantra Suraksha Party, which earlier had an alliance with BSP is also a potential candidate for the grand alliance. However, with all the opposition political parties searching for partners, BJP is unfazed mainly after over two dozen prominent leaders of both INLD and Congress joined the party.
Be it INLD MLAs Ranbir Ganga (Nalwa), Kehar Singh Rawat (Hathin), Balwan Singh Daulatpuria (Fatehabad), Zakir Hussain (Nuh), Parminder Dhull (Jullana), Ramchand Kamboj (Rania), Naseem Ahmed (Ferozepur Jhirka) or Jasbir Deswal (independent MLA, Safidon), INLD’s Rajya Sabha MP Ramkumar Kashyap and former Deputy Speaker Gopichand Gehlot, all have joined BJP giving a major jolt to Om Prakash Chautala led party.
The vertical split in INLD resulting in formation of the JJP in December last year has already cost the parent party dear both in Jind bypoll and the Lok Sabha elections. Struggling to find suitable candidates, INLD had to field first timers in most of the 10 parliamentary constituencies. However, all of them lost badly. INLD’s total vote share in Lok Sabha polls was around 1.8 per cent.
Congress although had been able to keep its flock together but several of its leaders too have switched sides to BJP. Arvind Sharma who left Congress, joined BJP and defeated Deepender Hooda in his stronghold Rohtak in this year’s Lok Sabha polls. Several other leaders, including Youth Congress national secretary general Devender Kadian, former Congress spokesperson Vandana Popli, two time Karnal MLA Jaiprakash Gupta, former minister Lakshman Singh’s daughter-in-law Ruby Bhagat, Congress national committee’s member Umesh Sharma, former minister Bachchan Singh Arya, Rohtak Congress’ former Mayor Renu Dabla, have joined BJP.
