Bansi Lal not looking at BJP for electoral tie-up

Former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal, whose Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) is striving to stage a comeback in the Lok Sabha elections after it...

Former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal, whose Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) is striving to stage a comeback in the Lok Sabha elections after its rout last time, says he is not even thinking of aligning with BJP.

Lal said all talk of HVP replacing CM O.P. Chautala’s INLD as BJP’s alliance partner in the state was ‘‘humbug’’ and was being circulated by ‘‘interested leaders’’. The BJP had withdrawn support to Lal’s three-year government in 1999 leading to fresh elections in the state.

Sources close to Lal said he was upset with the reports which emanated while he was looking after his ailing wife in Delhi and he had left much of the campaigning to partymen, including his ex-MP son Surinder Singh.

Even as the INLD, after snapping ties with BJP, is reportedly chasing the BSP, the Congress in the state remains a perpetually divided house torn between Bhajan Lal and Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Sources said there are no signs of the two leaders coming closer. ‘‘Both are holding separate public rallies despite mediations by Central leaders,’’ sources added.

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