Infighting hurts BJP in Haryana, says Manjeet Sehgal
The root cause behind the split between BJP-HJC alliance is the BJP's belief that it can wrest power in the state. However, a cause for concern for the party will be to find a suitable face for the post of chief minister.
After losing the Haryana Janhit Congress as its alliance partner, the BJP will now be contesting election alone in Haryana. The party is banking on the Modi wave and local antiincumbency against the ruling Congress.
The root cause behind the split between BJP-HJC alliance is the BJP's belief that it can wrest power in the state. However, a cause for concern for the party will be to find a suitable face for the post of chief minister. This will be crucial if the party expects to win the 90 seats in the Assembly polls which will be held in October this year.
The uncertainty over a potential chief ministerial candidate has even prompted some senior Congress leaders, like Chaudhary Birender Singh and Rao Inderjit Singh, to join the party. Inderjit Singh, 64, who joined the BJP in February this year and Rajya Sabha MP Chaudhary Birender Singh who broke his four decade old relationship with Congress to join BJP on August 16, have also projected themselves as chief ministerial candidates. Then there is the problem of over half a dozen leaders from the party, who are not known outside their constituencies, but have projected themselves as chief ministerial candidate.
Needless to say, the scenario is ripe for simmering dissension. The aspiring CM candidates from the BJP consider the Congress "dropouts" as an impediment to their political futures, and have started venting their anger. Some of them have also approached the high command regarding the issue.
This open dissension has obviously strengthened a rejuvenated Congress, fresh from its victories in the recent bypolls. Also the breakup in the alliance, analysts say, will disintegrate the opposition votes further, ensuring that the Congress could be the gainer. Add the fact that the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Bahujan Samaj party (BSP) are also contesting the elections alone, and one can see the reason behind Congress' confidence.
Party leaders say that they are confident of scoring a hat-trick in this state and that this result will be a backlash to the Modi wave generated in the Lok Sabha polls.
THE breakup of the BJP-HJC alliance has also divided the Jat votebank. Analysts believe that the INLD too will suffer for this as it has annoyed its Jat leaders by not giving them enough tickets. The Congress, on the other hand, are expected to get more Jat votes: as it has already announced a reservation policy for Jats.
Though the Congress has many reasons, it cannot afford to be complacent. BJP leaders are working overtime on damage control - post the breakup in the alliance. The party is continuing its strategy to weaken Congress by stealing its warriors. Currently there are, strong rumours that state cabinet minister Kiran Chaudhary may also join the BJP bandwagon. Apart from Chaudhary, the Congress' Ballabgarh MLA Sharda Rathore is also said to have met BJP president Amit Shah.
It's the breakaway politicians from the Congress that instill confidence in the saffron party.
The Modi wave in the 2014 general election ensured that the BJP received 34 per cent vote share making it the strongest political party in Haryana.
Following suit, the INLD also saw a growth in its vote share from 15.78 per cent in 2009 to 24.4 per cent in 2014 and is the second largest party in the state.
The Congress, on the other hand, with 22.9 per cent vote share (declining from 41.77 per cent in 2009) came down to a poor third. The poll drubbing, increased economic growth and continued public appeal for Prime Minister Modi means that the Congress, even if it wins in Haryana, may not win by as large a majority as it would like to. This gives the smaller parties, especially Kuldeep Bishnoi-led HJC and the BSP a chance to play the kingmakers. Bishnoi knows this and is trying to capitalise on the opportunities. By forging an alliance with Janchetna Party, he is trying to bring all political parties under one roof. These parties which are anti-Jat may become a sizeable deal maker or breaker come the polls in October.
In its 100 days in power the BJP has ridden on a wave of euphoria, which so far has been justified. However, the Haryana state polls will be a true test for the BJP. The results will tell if the euphoria is justified and whether the party can sustain the momentum it created during the Lok Sabha elections.
Given the rising factionalism at the state level, it will be a test of Amit Shah's ingenuity.
INLD steps up war of words with Congress
Come election time, the rivalry between the Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) comes to the fore. The Congress is the INLD's biggest political enemy, and as a result the party has prepared a fat chargesheet against Congress leaders and submitted it to the governor.
In this chargesheet the INLD has levelled serious allegations against Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
The INLD has accused Hooda of committing scams worth `10 lakh crore during the last decade. The party had sought an independent probe from the judge of a Supreme Court into the alleged 'transactions' done by Hooda and his family members. The chargesheet alleged Hooda and his family were involved in a benami partnership in Suncity Rohtak besides owning shares in a real estate company based in Beri in Jhajjar district. It added the family also owns a hotel in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia worth Rs 2,500 crore, which has not been declared. Finally, the chargesheet has sought a probe into the foreign visits of Hooda's nephew which they claim was diverting black money out of the country.
Hooda, however remained unfazed and said, "The allegations are a bundle of lies. I will file a case of defamation against them if they do not render a public apology." He also ridiculed the chargesheet saying that the leaders against whom charges had been framed in the court for amassing disproportionate assets, were levelling allegations against him.
BADAL PREFERS CHAUTALA TO BJP
The Akali Dal may not have a big presence in Haryana but it still manages to antagonise the BJP whenever there are elections in the state. The BJP leaders in Haryana are now seeing the Badal's love for Om Prakash Chautala's Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) as a big threat. The Akali Dal will campaign for the INLD which according to the BJP goes against the spirit of the alliance they have with the Akali Dal.
The Badals however are unperturbed and are instead giving preference to the decades-old bonds between the two families which were further strengthened as their political life advanced. The Badal-Chautala friendship started when Chaudhary Devi Lal, former deputy prime minister and Om Prakash Chautala's father went to Lambi (Badal's village) to learn wrestling. The distance between Lambi and Chautala (Chautala's native place) may be 47 kilometres, but the families remained close to one other. It is well known that the families have supported each other during hard times. For instance Badal was in jail when his daughter Perneet Kaur got married to Adesh Partap Singh Kairon (now a cabinet minister). As a result, it was Devi Lal who performed the rituals of the father.
The ties of friendship were confirmed as sources said Badal snubbed BJP leaders for objecting to his campaigning in Haryana saying it was Chautala who had helped him and not the NDA when he was booked by the Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government for corruption cases. The relations have remained cordial despite a rivalry between Punjab and Haryana over sharing of river water took place.