M A I N   N E W S

Jaitley stamps BJP-HJC alliance in Haryana
Projects Kuldeep Bishnoi as Chief Minister candidate
Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service

Hisar, December 1
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley today put to rest speculation over the fate of the BJP-Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) coalition in Haryana and projected its party president Kuldeep Bishnoi as the chief ministerial candidate.

Jaitley said the alliance would storm to power in the state and regretted not having a pact with Hisar MP Kuldeep Bishnoi’s party ahead of the 2009 Assembly polls. “This alliance should have come into existence in 2009. Had it been done, Bhupinder Singh Hooda would not have become the chief minister for the second time. Sometimes, we make a mistake in public life and this was a mistake,” he told a huge gathering.

The BJP stalwart said the outcome of the ongoing Assembly elections in four states would favour the party and "knowing its fate" the Congress had given up the fight midway. “The Congress leadership is not getting support from people, which is evident from its rallies in Delhi. Even the Prime Minister cancelled his public meeting in Delhi after we decided to hold three meetings in the capital,” he said.

Describing Bishnoi as a personal friend, he said the alliance was no longer a pact between leaders of two political parties. “The ties have cemented down to the grassroot level. It’s no longer an understanding between leaders of two parties,” Jaitley stated.

Reassured on the future of the alliance, Bishnoi sounded the poll bugle and sought to hard-shell the old and emotive issues of Satluj-Yamuna waters and a separate gurdwara management committee at the Vijay Rally organised to mark the culmination of his two-month rath yatra which covered 90 Assembly seats of the state.

“We will bring the Satluj Yamuna Link Canal waters to ensure irrigation water to the all parts of the state. A separate SGPC would also be formed in Haryana,” Bishnoi said.

These announcements are likely to cause disquiet in Punjab politics where the SAD-BJP is in power. The Akalis are unlikely to compromise on the issues of SYL waters and a separate SGPC and the BJP could find itself in a spot while explaining its stand on these issues.

Claiming that a strong anti-establishment undercurrent has been sweeping across the state, Bishnoi challenged Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for a debate on the issue of development at the place and time of his choice. “During my 57-day rath yatra, I came across the problems of poor roads, unemployment and dried up fields. Incidents of atrocities against Dalits, criminals extorting money from traders, government employees feeling harassed and crime against women have been rising,” Bishnoi said.

Slamming the ruling Congress as well as political arch-rival INLD, Bishnoi said leaders from both parties were in jail for their alleged involvement in criminal activities and scams and added some more of them were likely to follow these leaders in jail soon. To woo youth, Bishnoi promised to restore student union elections in the state.