JJP Offered 40 Seats to BSP, Says Chautala After Alliance Called off With Mayawati in Haryana Polls

Chandigarh: Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) chief Dushyant Chautala has said his party had believed in strengthening the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and offered it 40 out of 90 constituencies for the Haryana assembly polls, adding that it would now contest all the seats.

The comments come after the BSP had on Friday night announced its decision to part ways with the JJP and field candidates on all seats in the state, less than a month after the alliance was formed.

"JJP has believed in strengthening the BSP, its leadership, workers and supporters and gave 40 seats (for contesting polls) to it," Chautala tweeted. "Our intention has been to give political power and self-confidence to 'Bahujan Samaj' and will continue to do so."

"The JJP has been strengthening its organisation across the state from the beginning and will contest elections on all 90 seats on the strength of the hardworking and dedicated party workers and will form the government," he said.

Chautala said the JJP, which was formed after a split in the Indian National Lok Dal last year, has been moving forward on the ideals of late Chaudhary Devi Lal and BR Ambedkar.

"After entering into an alliance with the BSP on August 11, our endeavour has been to strengthen farmers and labour class in order to root capitalist forces out of power," Chautala said.

Announcing the decision to end the alliance on Friday night, Mayawati tweeted that the agreement reached with Chautala for the assembly elections in Haryana was "inappropriate" in terms of the proposed seat-sharing formula.

The two parties had announced on August 11 to contest polls in an alliance, with the JJP deciding to contest 50 seats and BSP in 40 seats.

The BSP had earlier formed an alliance with Om Prakash Chautala-led INLD, which lasted for only nine months. It also had an alliance with former MP Raj Kumar Saini's Loktantra Suraksha Party during the Lok Sabha polls.