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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, Dec 29: IN keeping with its strategy of playing a decisive role in the post-election scenario, the Bahujan Samaj Party today entered into a formal tie-up with former deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal’s Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) for the 10 seats in the state.
The decision is part of BSP supremo Kanshi Ram’s exercise to forge similar tie-ups in various states across the country. The party has more or less clinched a deal with the Congress in Punjab, where it would contest four seats.
As part of the agreement reached with Devi lal’s son Om Prakash Chautala, the BSP will field candidates in three Lok Sabha seats in Haryana — Ambala, Faridabad and Mahendragarh. The remaining seven constituencies have been left for Chautala’s outfit.
Announcing this at a joint press conference held this afternoon, Kanshi Ram and Chautala claimed that that alliance would win all 10 seats in the state. “Devi Lal has a sizeable presence in the state. We’ve tried to take advantage of his popularity to secure the uplift of the dalits and the oppressed,” observed Kanshi Ram.
The BSP supremo told reporters that his party had set two goals for itself for the ensuing elections win at least 55 seats and halt BJP’s march at any cost. “To achieve these twin goals, we have initiated talks with other regional parties,” he asserted.
But even though the BSP supremo claimed that his party’s main aim was to contain the BJP, he would not mind, he pointed out, seeking its help to become the Prime Minister in the event of a hung Parliament.
