In a development that could help ruling Congress ahead of the Haryana Assembly polls, BJP has decided to part ways with Indian National Lok Dal led by former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala.
The BJP, whose state leadership had strongly objected to the alliance with the INLD last year after the two parties went separate ways in 2004, has been unhappy with the number of seats being offered by INLD to them for the polls.
BJP leader Vijay Goel said, "We have decided to go it alone in Haryana".
Downplaying the development, INLD leader Om Prakash Chautala said, "We are together and there are no such issues from our side."
Asked whether he had received any signal from the BJP, he said "neither have we received any indication nor has there been any talk regarding this".
INLD state unit president Ashok Arora said, "It is their (BJP) wish. They have a problem, but we would still like to contest jointly".
If BJP had issues with seat sharing, these could have been sorted out, he said. "We never had any problem with them. It is they who have raised issues. We still consider them our ally," Arora said.
{{/usCountry}}If BJP had issues with seat sharing, these could have been sorted out, he said. "We never had any problem with them. It is they who have raised issues. We still consider them our ally," Arora said.
{{/usCountry}}A senior state BJP leader said INLD wanted to contest nearly 60 seats in the 90-member Assembly. "We cannot always play second fiddle," he said, indicating the decision was taken at the three-day 'Chintan Baithak' of the BJP at Shimla last week.