Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar dispels rumours of alliance rift, assures continuation of BJP-JJP partnership.
Amid speculations surrounding a possible rift in the ruling alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar affirmed on Saturday that the alliance was forged with the welfare of the public in mind and would persist in the future.
Khattar, addressing the media, categorically stated, “No change has been made,” dismissing any claims of discord between his party and the JJP led by Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala.
“We maintain cordial relations. We meet, both officially and personally. In 2019, we did not secure sufficient numbers to form the government. Considering the aspirations of the people, we entered into an alliance with the JJP to establish a stable government in Haryana,” Khattar emphasized.
He unequivocally stated, “The alliance is very much intact and will continue too.”
As the BJP and JJP gear up to woo voters separately ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, five Independent legislators met Biplab Kumar Deb, the BJP in-charge for the state, in the national capital.
Deb, the former Chief Minister of Tripura, shared photos on Twitter of the MLAs Dharam Pal Gonder, Rakesh Daultabad, Randhir Singh, and Somveer Sangwan, expressing confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership after their meeting on Thursday.
Additionally, Gopal Kanda, the Sirsa MLA from the Haryana Lokhit Party, met Deb in Delhi on Friday, expressing faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
These meetings hold significance as the BJP has not made a commitment to continue the alliance with the JJP.
Regarding Deb’s meeting with the five legislators, Khattar stated, “The party organization functions independently, and the government operates separately. We are running the government, and there is no such issue.”
He added, “Party in-charges work to anticipate the challenges faced by the party, not the functioning of the government. They make preparations with future elections in mind. Perhaps they have certain plans or strategies, but I cannot comment on them.”
On Friday, Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala had affirmed that the JJP-BJP alliance was formed under the leadership of Amit Shah to ensure a stable government in Haryana, emphasizing that there was no compulsion in forging the alliance.
The Lok Sabha elections are scheduled for May next year, while the term of the current Vidhan Sabha concludes in October 2024.