Former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal's son Kuldeep Bishnoi's floated Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC BL) along with a handful of independent candidates emerged as key players who likely to play significant role in the formation of next Government in Haryana where Left parties and BSP failed to mark their existence on the political map of the state.
After parting ways with Congress, young leader and former MP Kuldeep Bishnoi's HJC-BL was unsuccessful in its attempts to forge a pre-poll alliance with the BSP and later with BJP.
Both the BSP and BJP decided to severe ties with the HJC-BL after failing to reach at a consensus on seat sharing with the Kuldeep Bishnoi's outfit.
Of the total 90 Assembly constituencies Bishnoi fielded 87 candidates out of which six romped home victorious after results were declared today.
Bishnoi himself won from Adampur seat whereas his mother Jasma Devi was unlucky as she lost to Congress nominee Sampat Singh from Nalwa constituency.
Looking at the political equations after the final results where Congress could muster only 40 seats, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) surprised everyone by getting 31 seats and BJP four, the key to formation of Government other than the Congress is in the hands of HJC BL.
"I have been receiving feelers for an alliance from both INLD supremo Om Parkash Chautala and Bhupinder Singh Hooda(Chief Minister) and those against him," Kuldeep told PTI over phone adding that "his party and independents will play a key role in the formation of the next government in state."
"I have called a meeting of my party MLAs tomorrow at Delhi to decide on future course of action," he said adding that he was "open" to give support to any political outfit.
As the magic figure to form the Government in the 90 member house is 45, independents with seven in numbers will be crucial in show of strength for the formation of the Government.
Both Congress and the INLD will leave no stones unturned to poach the independents as their support will be a deciding factor in the government formation.
Even as their role has become crucial, the strength of independents has come down from ten in 2005 assembly polls to seven at the present hustings.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) created a history of sorts by winning a vidhan sabha seat for the first time after independence on its own sympbol outside the border state.
SAD entered the polls in alliance with its old friend INLD and contested on two seats - Kalanwali and Ambala city.
Charanjit Singh Rori of SAD bagged Kalanwali seat defeating Sushil Kumar Indora who had deserted INLD ahead of polls and contested on Congress ticket.
Uttar Pardesh Chief Minister Mayawati's BSP continued with its dismal show in elections in Haryana as the party could register a win only on a solitary seat of Jagadhari. In the 2005 Assembly polls, the BSP had just one seat in its kitty.
The BJP may have succeeded in doubling its tally from two to four in this elections, but the party continued with poor show as it fielded its candidates on all the 90 seats.
On eight assembly seats the Saffron party finished at the second spot. State BJP chief Krishan Pal Gujjar was among the prominent winner from the party from Tigaon seat.
Left parties CPI (M) and CPI had fielded their candidates on 11 and eight seats respectively. However, the Left parties were no where in reckoning in the state.
Besides, NCP and Lalu Parsad Yadav's RJD also tried their luck on 38 and three seats respectively but where unsuccessful in their efforts as both had dismal show in the state.
The people of the state largely voted in favour of Congress and INLD which bagged 40 and 31 seats respectively.
While Congress needed support of another five candidates to touch the figure of 45, the INLD had to go extra miles to form the Government.
The tally of Congress fell from 67 in 2005 to 40 whereas INLD showed a remarkable improvement by raising its figure from nine in the last assembly polls to 31.
The independents finished second on ten seats and BSP and SAD on one each assembly constituency.
While Congress returned as runner up on 42 seats, its main opposition INLD on 24 seats.PTI
