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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, JAN 7: Bharatiya Janata Party’s hope to come to power in Bihar and Haryana may meet the same fate as in Karnataka, due to its stubborn and squabbling allies.
While Samata Party and Janata Dal (United) have fallen apart on seat sharing in Bihar even before the talks could begin, BJP’s ally in Haryana, Indian National Lok Dal has apparently been trying for a hard bargain by offering only 20 out of total 90 seats for the ensuing Assembly seats in the State.
The BJP and INLD had contested equal number of seats during recently held Lok Sabha polls. The combine had swept all ten seats emboldening the Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala to dissolve the Assembly and head for premature elections.
The two allies in Haryana were pulling along well with Chautala agreeing on parting with 35 seats to the BJP. But, INLD patriarch, Chaudhury Devi Lal’s recent statement that the BJP did not deserve to contest more than 20 seats in the State, has thrown a spanner in the alliance.
A section of the BJP views the statement as INLD’s attempt to break off ties with the BJP, while another section terms it an attempt for hard bargaining on number of seats each partner would contest during March elections.
A similar hard-bargaining by Samata Party leaders has jeopardised the emergence of a unified Janata Dal comprising JD (U), Lok Shakti and Samata itself, as a formidable force during Bihar elections.
BJP leaders feel they could tie up with Samata and JD (U) separately if the two allies failed to sink their differences which eventually would benefit the Rashtriya Janata Dal. “It would be a repetition of Karnataka-like situation where we failed to come to power due to squabbling among allies and subsequent confusion, despite being in formidable position”, said a senior party leader.
