New Delhi, October 25: In a surprise turnaround by Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) on not joining Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it announced the decision to support the minority party in Haryana for the formation of its government.
Dushyant Chautala, whose JJP’s surprise showing of 10 seats made him the kingmaker in an otherwise hung house, will be made Haryana’s deputy chief minister, while incumbent Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will head the new government, Shah said after a day of hectic parleys.
“Going by the mandate given by the people of Haryana, the BJP and JJP decided to join hands to provide a stable government in the state,” Shah said.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who will embark upon his second term, said: “We have worked together in the past, and we will do it again to provide a stable government”.
Chautala, who also addressed the press, gave the example of his great grandfather Devi Lal, a former chief minister of Haryana who was briefly part of the erstwhile Janata Party, to say: “Our leaders have worked with BJP in the past. The coalition government will help in the development of the state”.
JJP national executive had elected Dushyant the leader of legislative party earlier in the day. Chautala also met his father, veteran politician Ajay Chautala, in Tihar jail to update him on the developments.
Haryana threw up a hung house in assembly elections held on October 21—BJP won 40 seats, Congress 31, JJP 10, leaving about nine for others, including Indian National Lok Dal, which won only one seat.
JJP is a breakaway party from the INLD, formed in December after infighting within its ranks, particularly its first family—the Chautalas—broke the party into two.
The BJP’s decision to win over Chautala underlines its quest to placate Jats, a dominant community in the state and who are believed to have voted mostly against the saffron party in the recent polls, to ensure a smooth run of its government.
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