BJP Ropes In Smaller Parties For Haryana Elections, Will Ally With Jayant Chaudhary's RLD To Woo Jat Voters

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to ally with smaller parties in Haryana for assembly elections scheduled for 1 October.

Gopal Kanda's Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP), which won one seat in the 2019 assembly election, will be rewarded by inclusion in the BJP-led alliance for the support it has extended.

The HLP might be given one or two seats to contest. Similarly, former Union minister Vinod Sharma's Haryana Janchetna Party (HJP) might also get one or two seats to contest.

The BJP's ally in Uttar Pradesh, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), might form an alliance with the party in Haryana as well. Reportedly, it is demanding four seats to contest but might get one or two seats.

Jat votes are considered to be the BJP's weakness. By roping in Jayant Chaudhary's RLD, the BJP wants to woo Jat voters when it is no longer in alliance with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).

Notably, the JJP won 10 seats in the 2019 assembly elections and supported the BJP in forming the government in Haryana, which fell short of a majority.

The alliance fell apart earlier this year when Manohar Lal Khattar was removed and Nayab Saini was appointed the chief minister. The JJP has now allied with Chandra Shekhar Azad's party.

In the upcoming assembly elections, JJP will contest 70 seats, while Azad Samaj Party-Kanshiram will contest 20 seats. This sets the stage for a five-cornered fight in the state.

Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are contesting on their own, while Abhay Chautala's Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has formed an alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).