Dushyant Chautala backs BJP for Deputy CM post

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday conceded that Jats play a crucial role in Haryana politics. The party, which installed a non-Jat, Mr Manohar Lal Khattar, to head its first government in the state in 2014, allied with the Jat-dominated Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) of Mr Dushyant Chautala to retain power for a second term on Friday.

The BJP also agreed to the JJP’s demand for the post of deputy chief minister even though it had been claiming all through the day that it has the support of independent MLAs to form government.

BJP national president and Union home minister Amit Shah himself annou-nced that his party has decided to ally with the JJP to run a stable government. The JJP has 10 seats.

In the recently concluded Assembly polls, the BJP tally stood at 40, six short of simple majority in the 90-strong Assembly. Several of its candidates, including senior leaders and ministers, failed to win mainly in the Jat-dominated areas. Some BJP leaders belonging to the community also lost, indicating that the party was not the preferred choice of Jats.

Mr Dushyant Chautala earlier held a meeting with Mr Shah at the latter’s residence. Mr Khattar was present when Mr Shah announced the decision to ally with the JJP. Speculation is rife that at least two JJP leaders other than Mr Chautala could be accomodated in the BJP-led government.

The JJP chief had claimed that his party would support that party which would agree to its comman minimum programme, including 75 per cent jobs reservation for Haryanvis and the old age pension. It will now be seen how the BJP implements the poll promises of its ally in the state.

The BJP, which was busy with meetings over government formation in Haryana, had to face severe criticism over its move to seek support from Lokhit Party’s Gopal Kanda, who is facing charges of abetment to suicide of a former woman employee and her mother.

Though a photograph of Mr Kanda, who won the Sirsa Assembly seat, and Independent MLA Ranjeet Singh, accompanied by BJP Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal, was widely circulated on social media, the BJP refrained from any comment. Mr Kanda claimed that all the independents who had won had extended “unconditional support” to the BJP, and revealed his family’s association with the RSS.

Outgoing Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is expected to stake claim on Saturday. The BJP has appointed Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and party general secretary Arun Singh as observers for the Haryana Legislature Party meeting.

Earlier, Mr Khattar held a series of meetings with BJP working president J.P. Nadda, state in-charge Anil Jain, general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh and some independent MLAs.