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Now, Haryana BJP decides to contest municipal polls in alliance with JJP
After dumping its coalition partner, the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), by deciding to contest the June 19 municipal committee and municipal council elections in Haryana alone, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday took a U-turn and announced to fight the upcoming election in an alliance with the JJP
After dumping its coalition partner, the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), by deciding to contest the June 19 municipal committee and municipal council elections in Haryana alone, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday took a U-turn and announced to fight the upcoming election in an alliance with the JJP.
The BJP, with 40 MLAs, and the JJP, which has 10 MLAs, are coalition partners in the Manohar Lal Khattar-led state government.
As per the seat-sharing formula BJP and JJP leaders stitched following an hour-long meeting on Thursday evening, the alliance partners will field joint candidates for the posts of chairmen in the 18 municipal councils where the election is being held.
The BJP will field 14 candidates for the post of chairmen, and JJP four (Narwana, Tohana, Dabwali and Nuh).
The voters will directly elect the chairmen of municipal councils and municipal committees. The allies left it to their local units to decide if municipal committee chairmen polls should be contested on party symbol or not.
“In view of the changed political scenario in state and after key political opponent, Congress fled from the battle field, we reviewed our earlier decision and decided that now, the BJP-JJP will fight the election together,” Haryana BJP chief OP Dhankar said.
According to the BJP-JJP sources, leaders of both the parties were of the opinion that the election is turning out to be a direct fight between the alliance partners in the state government in wake of Congress’ decision to not fight election on party symbol.
On the other hand, the BJP, JJP and AAP had announced to enter the fray on party symbol.
Polling for 28 municipal committees and 18 municipal councils will be held on June 19 and results will be declared on June 22. The nomination filing exercise is ending on June 4 and BJP is likely to declare the list of candidates on Friday.
When BJP held the meeting of its poll panel on Wednesday to finalise names of candidates, the need to review its decision of going solo was urgently felt.
The JJP, apparently feeling slighted at BJP’s surprising move, had started fielding strong candidates, causing unease in BJP circles.
