Shiromani Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal, whose party contested against the BJP and in alliance with the Indian National Lok Dal in Haryana, Saturday welcomed the post-poll alliance of the saffron party with the Jannayak Janta Party “to honour the mandate given by the people of state in the Vidhan Sabha elections”. “I heard about the alliance and now I am the happiest person on this earth. I have close affinity with the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Haryana chief minister-elect Manohar Lal Khattar and, of course, the Chautala family. I wish Dushyant a successful political career ahead. He has already achieved so much at the young age of 31,” Badal, the former Punjab chief minister, said. Badal will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP-JJP government headed by Khattar in Chandigarh Sunday. Dushyant Chautala will take oath as Khattar’s deputy. Badal said, “While SAD has a long-standing alliance with the BJP in Punjab and at the Centre, which transcends political considerations and represents a social consensus for enduring peace and communal harmony in the state and in the country, I am particularly happy at the new alliance based on consensus reached in Haryana”. Congratulating the leadership of the BJP and JJP for “winning the trust of the people on the basis of the positive agenda of development and good governance”, Badal hoped that “the new arrangement would prove to be boon for the poor and the downtrodden, especially the beleaguered peasantry.” On being reminded that his party contested the Haryana polls in alliance with the INLD, the parent party of the JJP, Badal said, “Politically, sometimes you have changed equations. Moreover, I didn’t campaign in Haryana polls. However, BJP is a party, which is close to my heart and Chautalas are a family who will always remain dear to me. Though we had an alliance with the INLD in Haryana, but my personal relations are with the entire family. Devi Lal de khoon naal mainu pyaar hai.hamesha rahega.” Recalling his long association with the family of the late Devi Lal, Badal said said he was “very confident that the pro-poor and pro-farmer legacy of the statesman will be carried forward by Dushyant, who has also promised to carry forward the vision of the late leader.” The Akali leader once again appealed to the families of Abhay Chautala and Ajay Chautala, both grandsons of Devi Lal and sons of INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala, to reunite. “I will suggest Dushyant to take blessings from his grandfather OP Chautala and uncle Abhay as well apart from his father and other family members. If they can forget their differences even now, it will be good for them,” he added. Asked whether he guided Dushyant to go for an alliance with the BJP, he said, “I called Dushyant to congratulate him as his party performed very well in the state. He is wise enough and can take his own decisions.that is why he was able to win 10 seats despite having formed a party only 10 months ago”. On difference of opinion on Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, Badal said, “Issues always remain.they never end. but individual issues are different from state issues. Hence the two should not be mixed”. SAD had contested unsuccessfully on three seats in Haryana. JJP betrayed voters by supporting BJP: Kumari Selja Haryana Congress president Kumari Selja Saturday dubbed the Jannayak Janta Party’s support to the BJP in forming the new government a “betrayal” with the voters. Selja said the 10 seats that the voters of the state gave to the JJP were a mandate against the ruling BJP. “But the JJP betrayed the voters of the state. All those who voted for the JJP are feeling cheated today after it extended the support to the BJP,” she said. In a statement, the Congress leader said people of the state gave a befitting reply to the BJP, which was targeted to win more than 75 of the 90 seats. “But what people of the state could not realise was that the JJP had a tacit understanding with the BJP and acted as its ‘B’ team. They did not take any time to extend support to the BJP as soon as the election results were out.” Selja said after extending support to the BJP, a question mark remained on the JJP’s pre-election promises. She pointed out to the JJP’s assurances like giving an allowance of Rs 11,000 per month to the unemployed, reserving 75 per cent of the jobs for the people of the state and a monthly old-age pension of Rs 5,100. Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala also took a dig at JJP. Surjewala said before the polls, the BJP used to dub Dushyant Chautala, grandson of former chief minister O P Chautala, as a person who was allegedly responsible for the family feud. The JJP, on the other hand, used to hold the BJP responsible for “burning” Haryana, Surjewala said, referring to the violence that broke out during the 2016 Jat agitation and following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 2017. “But now, the two have come together to form the government..,” Surjewala tweeted. (ENS & PTI)
