Will snap ties with INLD today if Chautalas don’t unite, warns BSP

State party chief Prakash Bharti gives Friday night deadline for INLD-JJP unity; INLD state chief Ashok Arora says he is unaware of any such move by Mayawati’s party

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The INLD can be strong only if it is able to merge JJP, led by Hisar MP Dushyant, back with the parent party.

PRAKASH BHARTI, State BSP chief

AMBALA: Two days after Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala claimed his party’s alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was intact, BSP state president Prakash Bharti asserted that they will part ways with the INLD if it fails to get united with the Jannayak Janta Party, which was born out of the Chautala family feud.

“I can say it with certainty that the BSP will not go along with any one of the two parties led by members of the Chautala family. The INLD can be strong only if it is able to merge back JJP, led by Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala, with the parent party,” Bharti said while talking to Hindustan Times.

There had been speculation that the BSP will break away from the alliance ever since the INLD was reduced to the fifth position in the Jind byelection.

Regarding the possibility of the BSP tying up with some other party, Bharti said, “We are in touch with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Loktantra Suraksha Party (LSP).” The LSP is led by Kurukshtra BJP rebel MP Rajkumar Saini.

“Even JJP leaders are in our contact. But we will not go with JJP alone. There are chances of a grand alliance in Haryana, wherein the BSP will play an important role,” he added.

“We can wait till tonight (Friday night) for Chautalas to get united before making a final decision,’’ he said.

When contacted, INLD state president Ashok Arora said that only BSP can clarify about it decision. “I am not aware of the BSP’s move to enter into an electoral alliance with LSP. We haven’t spoken to Mayawati on this,’’ Arora said.

Abhay Chautala, leader of opposition in Haryana assembly, had claimed On Wednesday, that he had spoken to BSP supremo Mayawati and the alliance will remain intact till forthcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

Bharti said the BSP will make an announcement about the “fresh alliance” in Chandigarh on Saturday.

He said BSP Haryana in-charge Meghraj Singh and LSP chief Rajkumar Saini will also be present on this occasion.

Other BSP leaders, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the party will enter into an alliance with the LSP. Saini, however, was not available for his comments, despite HT’s repeated calls and text messages.

The BSP- LSP alliance is being worked out with an eye on Dalit and backward class (BC) vote bank in the state.

Saini, who himself comes from a backward class, is hoping to rally the backward classes around him in the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

A BSP leader, seeking anonymity, said the BSP will get more share of seats in Lok Sabha whereas the LSP will get major portion of seats in assembly elections in Haryana.