INLD fishing for ally, BJP to go it alone
LADWA (KURUKSHETRA) : Two days after the BSP ended its alliance with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in the wake of its humiliating defeat in the Jind bypoll, party supremo Om Prakash Chautala on Monday said they are ready to go in for a tie-up with any “like-minded party as nobody is our enemy.”
Chautala, out on furlough from Tihar jail where he is serving a ten-year sentence in the JBT recruitment scam, addressed a public meeting here.
Interacting with the media persons after the meeting, he said, “The world lives on hope. We don’t have any malice with anyone. If like-minded people are willing to take us along for the bright future of the country, we would not have any objection.”
“This could be any political party”, he replied when asked about the possibility of forging alliance with the ruling BJP, which had been its ally in the past too.
Chautala, however, did not comment on BSP supremo Mayawati’s move to join hands with Loktantra Suraksha Party after parting ways with INLD. “Several alliances are being formed ahead of elections,” he quipped.
Asked if he could imagine such a humiliating defeat of INLD candidate Umed Redhu, who lost his deposit, in Jind bypoll, Chautala said, “I was not expecting such results. But don’t want to discuss the reasons behind it.” He also refused to comment over the remarkable performance of the Jannayak Janta Party (JPP), which was formed by his estranged son Ajay Chautala and grandson Dushyant Chautala, in the Jind bypoll. JPP candidate Digvijay Chautala, brother of Dushyant, came runners-up in the bypoll, pushing Congress’ Randeeep Surjewala to the third position.
Having suffered three major jolts including — split in the family, humiliating defeat in Jind bypoll and break-up of alliance with BSP, the visibly upset fourtime chief minister asked the party workers to work on the ground to strengthen the party.
PROMISES JOBS FOR ALL EDUCATED YOUTHS
Chautala promised to give jobs to all educated youths of the state on merit basis. “Though I am in jail for giving jobs to 3,200 youths, I promise to give job to every educated youth as per his ability, irrespective of their caste, community or political association,” he said.
He added, “I am ready to spend the rest of my life in jail, but I promise to give jobs to all educated youths of the state if we are voted to power.”
However, Chautala avoided attacking his grandsons Dushyant and Digvijay. “The circumstances keep changing. People come and go. There were some people, who don’t even hesitate to bring the country down to fulfil their own interests. But you need not think about others. Work on the ground to strengthen the party,” he told INLD workers.
Chautala also addressed a party workers’ meeting in Ambala later in the day.