Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) secretary general Digvijay Chautala on Friday blamed former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for standing in the way of a possible post-poll alliance between the two parties after the 2019 Assembly elections, and derailing the formation of a “mahagathbandhan” (grand alliance) with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the last Lok Sabha elections.
Accusing Mr. Hooda of keeping the political interests of his Rajya Sabha MP son Deepender ahead of the State’s interests, Mr. Chautala, at a press conference here, said the JJP was open to issue-based support to the Congress for a post-poll alliance after the Assembly elections. He added that most of the senior Congress leaders had agreed to it, but the “negative attitude” of Mr. Hooda scuttled the process.
The Assembly poll results in Haryana had left the BJP six short of a majority in the 90-member House. The Congress had won 31 seats while the JJP got 10 seats. The BJP, which already had the support of six Independents, went on to form the government with the JJP joining the coalition with its 10 MLAs.
The JJP leader said he was “compelled” to make these revelations since Mr. Hooda and his MP son were falsely accusing the JJP of going with the BJP and turning down the Congress’s offer.
He also accused the father-son duo of making contradictory statements on the issue. In one of his recent attacks on the BJP-JJP government, the leader of the Opposition, Mr. Hooda, claimed that a Congress government would be formed in 2024 in the state as the people want change.
Old videos
Playing an old video of his brother and now Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala’s press conference in 2019, Mr. Chautala said hike in old age pension and reservation for youth in private jobs were two major conditions of the JJP for a post-poll alliance and the party was open to support both the BJP and the Congress. “But Mr. Hooda said that the JJP should first offer the support and the issues could be discussed later. This negative attitude of Mr. Hooda did not let the coalition happen,” said Mr. Chautala.
Reacting to the allegations, Haryana Congress spokesperson Rakesh Garg, in a video message, said Mr. Chautala only told “lies” during the press conference.
Playing an old video of Mr. Hooda, Mr. Garg said the former Chief Minister had categorically supported the two demands made by the JJP. He also played a video of Mr. Chautala, wherein the JJP leader said that Chaudhary Devi Lal formed the first non-Congress government in Haryana, and there was no question of going with the party.
The JJP secretary general also accused Mr. Hooda of not agreeing to a grand alliance with the JJP and AAP for the Lok Sabha election in 2019.
“A seat-sharing formula for the coalition was prepared with AAP and the JJP contesting one and two seats, respectively, and seven seats left for the Congress. Later, the Congress lost all Lok Sabha seats in the State and AAP and the JJP too suffered,” he added.
He said Mr. Hooda had “a lot to answer” and he could make more revelations with audio recordings if compelled to do so. He alleged that Mr. Hooda had sacrificed several senior Congress leaders to protect the political interests of his son, but could not commit “political foeticide” of Dushyant Chautala.
