We asked for 2 Lok Sabha seats, but BJP refused: JJP chief

Jannayak Janta Party chief Ajay Singh Chautala Wednesday said his party worked with full honesty to fulfil the 'gathbandhan dharma' over the last four and half years of the alliance and his party was never power hungry.

His statement came a day after JJP's alliance with the BJP ended with the BJP replacing Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini as the Haryana chief minister.

Chautala said his party had demanded two Lok Sabha seats in Haryana for the upcoming general election, but was refused by the BJP.

"I was also in Delhi the day before yesterday. Dushyant Chautala met BJP president J P Nadda (over seat sharing). We said we wanted to contest the two seats but they refused to give it," he said.

Chautala said that he sent Dushyant Chautala back to the BJP leadership with the message that the JJP would not fight even a single seat if it fulfils the promise of Rs 5,100 per month under the Old Age Pension scheme and would support it in all 10 seats.

"We are not power hungry," he said, and added, "in four-and-half years, we worked with full honesty to adhere to the 'gathbandhan dharma'."

Chautala said it was because of the people's blessings that his party garnered 17 per cent of votes and won 10 seats in the 2019 assembly polls.

In the four and half years, the party, which was in alliance with the BJP, fulfilled all promises made to the people, he said.

He referred to promises like 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs and 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions.

Public is supreme, Chautala asserted, and taking a dig at the BJP, said that those who used to claim 'ab ki baar 75 paar,' could manage to win just 40 seats.

He was referring to the BJP's performance in the 2019 assembly polls in Haryana.

"It is dhoopaur chhaon and it is in your hands," Chautala told the gathering.

"You support us in this struggle and I promise that whatever we say to you we will come good on them," he said.

Earlier addressing the gathering, former Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said, "Power is not anyone's inheritance. One gets it on the back of people's strength."

"BJP ran the government for four and half years with our support. They have the majority in the House even today with 48 MLAs," he said.

He also spoke about an elevated road project in Hisar and Hisar international airport initiated by him.

Referring to his party's promise of raising the Old Age Pension, Dushyant said though it could not be raised to Rs 5,100 per month, it was hiked to Rs 3,000 a month.

He said that his party was preparing for two Lok Sabha seats, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh and Hisar, while keeping in mind the 'gathbandhan dharma'.

Referring to his meeting with BJP president J P Nadda, Dushyant said that the BJP asked him to contest from the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat.

Dushyant claimed his party would win over 50 seats.

Neither our morale is down nor have we turned weak, he said.

He said that his party will contest both, Lok Sabha and state assembly polls.

The BJP on Tuesday replaced Manohar Lal Khattar with OBC leader Nayab Singh Saini as Haryana's chief minister in a swift switch in the state, just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Saini, who is the party's state unit president, was sworn in as chief minister along with five ministers at a Raj Bhavan ceremony hours after the dramatic resignation of Khattar and his cabinet.

The switch in Haryana came amid the ruling BJP-JJP coalition coming apart over the seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.