JJP offers support to Congress for Rajya Sabha election in Haryana, dismisses alliance with BJP

JJP co-founder Dushyant Chautala urges Congress to field common candidate for Haryana Rajya Sabha election, criticizes BJP.

Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) co-founder Dushyant Chautala, the former ally of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday asked the Congress to take the lead in fielding a common candidate for the Rajya Sabha election in Haryana to which the JJP will extend support.

Mr. Chautala, former Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, also dismissed the possibility of an alliance with the ruling BJP in Haryana before or after the next Assembly polls, which are due later this year.

After Congress party’s Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda won the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat in the recently concluded polls, the seat in the Upper House of Parliament has become vacant.

Mr. Chautala alleged that both the national parties — the Congress and the BJP were deceiving the public. “In the Rajya Sabha elections to be held in Haryana, Congress is running away from the battle. Former Chief Minister Bhupindar Hooda’s statement that they do not have the numbers shows ‘match fixing’ with BJP. If Congress really wants to compete with BJP, then it should field a joint opposition Rajya Sabha candidate. We are ready to support them. The Opposition should unite to get a social personality, a player or an artist to lead Haryana in the Rajya Sabha,” he said at a press conference here.

Pointing out that the JJP suffered electoral loss by allying with the BJP, Mr. Chautala said: “There is no reason for JJP to go with the BJP in the future. Due to issues like the farmers’ movement, the public was angry with the BJP and JJP had to bear the brunt of it,” he added.

Mr. Chautala said the party will take feedback from workers of all 22 districts in the State and will start preparing for the upcoming Assembly election.

Hitting out at the BJP government, Mr. Chautala said the law and order situation is rapidly deteriorating in the State due to the failure of the government. He said Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who holds the charge of the Home department, has failed to handle the law and order and wanted the CM to give the responsibility of the department to a separate minister.