Amid rumours of rift, JJP to contest on all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana

Chandigarh, June 12 (IANS) As the rift in Haryana's ruling alliance of the BJP and the JJP seemed to be widening, the latter on Monday asserted that it would contest all 10 parliamentary constituencies in the state on its own.

However, the JJP remained silent that whether it would continue with the alliance in the remaining term of one and a half years of the state government or not.

At the crucial party's meeting here, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) chief Ajay Singh Chautala and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala told its legislatures and senior leaders to start preparing for next year's Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

An official statement quoting Ajay Chautala said the JJP has started working on its "Mission 2024" and as part of it senior leaders are attending programmes across the state.

The JJP is part of the BJP-led ruling coalition in Haryana.

In the coming days, party veteran leaders, ministers and legislators will speed up public meetings up to grassroots to strengthen the party, said the statement.

After discussing in detail with all MLAs, Ajay Chautala has outlined the programs of the party under which it was decided to intensify public relations campaign in the next three months.

Later, Development and Panchayat Minister Devender Singh Babli told the media here that the JJP has done more than 50 successful public outreach programs in the past two months. During this period, the programmes have been done in about 20 cities and equal number of rural circles.

Notably, both the JJP and the BJP have been non-committal on whether they would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls together.

Amid talks of a possible rift, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar asserted on June 19 said the alliance was reached for public welfare, and it will continue in the future as well.

"No change has been made," he categorically told the media here, setting aside rumours of fissures between his party and alliance partner JJP.

"We are having cordial relations. We are meeting, both officially and personally. We (BJP) didn't get the adequate numbers to form the government (in 2019). Keeping in mind the aspirations of the people, we entered into an alliance with the JJP to form a stable government in Haryana," Khattar has said.

Without mincing words, he added, "The alliance is very much intact and will continue too."

Amid preparations by the BJP and the JJP to woo the electorate ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls separately, five Independent legislators last week met BJP in-charge for the state, Biplab Kumar Deb, in the national capital.

Presently, in the assembly of 90 seats, the BJP has 41 seats, the Congress 30, and the JJP 10.

While six out of seven Independents support the BJP, one member of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) each are also supporting the Khattar-led government.