BJP beats Cong to Bishnoi,will announce tie-up today

According to the formula worked out for a long-term arrangement,sources said,the BJP will contest eight of the 10 Lok Sabha seats when general elections are held while the two would share the 90 Assembly seats equally.

Bishnoi is likely to retain the Lok Sabha seats of Hisar which has fallen vacant due to the death of his father Bhajan Lal and Bhiwani,which he had represented earlier. Bishnoi had declared that the Hisar seat would be contested by a member of his family. Though the names of his mother,Jasma Devi,and wife,Renuka Bishnoi,are also doing the rounds,the widespread perception is that he would himself jump into the fray.

The Indian National Lok Dal has already named Ajay Chautala,the elder son of party chief Om Prakash Chautala,as its nominee.

From the Congress camp which was also trying to woo Bishnoi several names are in circulation. They include the wife and IAS son of senior party leader Birender Singh,former MP Jai Prakash and former minister Chhatrapal Singh.

While the BJP has contested elections in Haryana in alliance with several political formations floated by the Devi Lal in the past,the party feels an alliance with a non-Jat party leader such as Bishnoi would pay better dividends. Besides,being far weaker than Chautala,he would allow the BJP to play the role of a big brother in the state.

The first sign of the emerging alliance had come when Gadkari had visited Bishnoi at Hisar to offer his condolences following the death of Bhajan Lal.

For Bishnoi too,an alliance is a shot in the arm following a series of negative developments,including desertion by several important leaders,and his political isolation.