New Delhi: The BJP on Friday conceded to the fact that Jats play a crucial role in Haryana politics and decided to form the government with the help of the Jat-dominated Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), a splinter group of Om Prakash Chautala-led INLD.
The BJP, which had given charge to a non-Jat, Manohar Lal Khattar, to head its first government in the state in 2014, decided on Saturday not just to partner with the JJP, but also agreed to the latter’s demand of deputy chief minister’s post. The announcement came as a surprise as through the day the BJP leadership had been claiming that it has the support of Independent MLAs to form the next government.
BJP national president and Union home minister Amit Shah himself announced that his party has decided to ally with the JJP to run a stable government.
In the recently concluded Assembly polls in Haryana, the BJP on its own remained short of simple majority as its candidates, including senior leaders and some ministers, failed to win mainly in the Jat dominated areas. Some of the BJP leaders who lost themselves belonged to the same community, indicating that the party was not the preferred choice of Jats.
Earlier in the day, Mr Chautala held a meeting with Mr Shah at the latter’s residence. Mr Khattar was also present when Mr Shah announced the decision to ally with the JJP.
The BJP legislature party is due to meet on Saturday to formally start the process of government formation.
The BJP won 40 Assembly seats in Haryana, six short of a simple majority in the 90-member Assembly. The JJP won 10 seats and speculation is rife that at least two of its leaders, other than Mr Chautala, could be accomodated in the BJP-led government.
The JJP chief had claimed that his party would support the party which will agree to its common minimum programme, which includes the promise of 75 per cent job reservation inthe state for Haryanvis and old age pension. It now remains to be seen as how the BJP implements the poll promises of its ally in the state.
However, the BJP, which was busy with meetings over government formation in Haryana, had to face severe criticism over its move to seek support from Lokhit Party’s Gopal Kanda, a “rape accused” who is also facing charges of abetment to suicide of a former woman employee and her mother.
Even within the BJP, there is growing resentment over the association with Mr Kanda.
Though a photograph of Mr Kanda, who won the Sirsa Assembly seat, and Independent MLA Ranjeet Singh, accompanied by BJP Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal, was widely circulated in the social media, the BJP refrained from any comment on Mr Kanda. Mr Kanda, on the other hand, claimed that all the Independents who had won had extended “unconditional support” to the BJP, and he also revealed his family’s association with the RSS.
“My father was associated with the RSS since 1926... he fought the first general election of the country after Independence on a Jan Sangh ticket,” said Mr Kanda.
Outgoing chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar is expected to stake claim or government formation on Saturday. The BJP has appointed Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and party general secretary Arun Singh as observers for the Haryana legislature party meeting. The BJP leadership has already made it clear that Mr Khattar will head the next government.
Earlier, during the day, Mr Khattar held a series of meetings with BJP working president J.P. Nadda, state in-charge Anil Jain, general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh and some Independent MLAs.
