BJP-JJP coalition govt based on 'selfish interests', won't last long: Abhay Chautala
Dampening prospects of any truce in the feuding Chautala clan, INLD lone MLA Abhay Chautala on Sunday accused his nephew Dushyant Chautala-led JJP of forging post-poll alliance with the BJP out of "selfish interest" and claimed the coalition government in Haryana will not last long.
"They came together for their selfish interests," Abhay Singh Chautala told reporters on sidelines of his party's state executive meeting here. Haryana former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala's younger son Abhay Chautala made the contentious remarks days after his elder brother Ajaya Chautala, whose son Dushyant Chautala was sworn in as the state's deputy chief minister in the BJP-led state government, met him, triggering hopes of a truce in the clan.
Ridiculing the BJP-JJP alliance, Abhay Chautala said his nephew-led party joined hands with the BJP after fiercely opposing each other in the recent assembly polls.
He said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar used to dub Dushyant Chautala a "gappu" (boaster), while JJP used to hit out at BJP on various fronts.
"But now they have joined hands for their selfish interests and not for protecting people's interests. Such alliances don't last long and the government will eventually fall," he said, adding the two allies were now fighting over portfolio allocation in the government.
Khattar is yet to induct any minister in his Cabinet, except Dushyanat, said Abhay Chautala, adding portfolios will be allocated only after ministers are inducted.
The sole INLD MLA also took a dig at his nephew, saying as Hisar MP, Dushyant may have driven a tractor to the Parliament to win farmers' support, but "he has little knowledge about agriculture".
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Jannayak Janata party have formed the government in alliance in Haryana. The state government also enjoys support of seven independent MLAs.
In the October 21 assembly polls, the BJP had won 40 seats in the 90-member House, falling short by six MLAs for a simple majority. The JJP had won 10 seats, Congress 31, independents seven and INLD and Haryana Lokhit Party one each.
While Dushyant's fledgling JJP has ten members, his uncle Abhay Singh Chautala is the sole MLA from his party Indian National Lok Dal.
The JJP had been formed after a vertical split in the INLD last year amid a festering feud in the Chautala clan. The INLD slumped to its worst ever performance in recent assembly polls.
On the Congress winning 31 seats, Abhay Chautala said the party should have been decimated but they got more seats because of division of votes.
"If you see their past five years, you will accept that they should have been routed. Because they did neither have organisational structure in districts or booths nor any agenda. They fought amongst themselves for five years. They neither raised any voice inside or outside the assembly," he claimed.
He said on the contrary, it was INLD which raised people's voice both inside and outside the Vidhan Sabha. "We cornered government on every issue, be it concerning employees, traders, farmers or youths," he said. About the BJP, he claimed he had predicted they will perform poorly.
"Their vote share went down by 25 per cent from what they had gained in Lok Sabha (58 per cent) polls (from Haryana)". Replying to a question on INLD's poor performance in the assembly polls, Abhay Chautal said they are taking feedbacks and suggestions from workers on this.
Talking of INLD's upcoming programmes, he said his party has always waged a battle for getting waters through SYL canals. "The SYL is my priority. If need be, we will once again launch an agitation so that Haryana gets its due share of water," he said.
