The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) announced on Thursday that it has re-established its alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections scheduled for later this year. This strategic partnership aims to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and counter the Congress’s influence in the state.
As part of the electoral arrangement, the BSP will contest 37 out of the 90 assembly seats in Haryana, while the remaining seats will be contested by the INLD. This alliance marks a significant political move as the BJP seeks to secure its third consecutive term in power in the state.
At a joint press conference held in Nayagaon, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, INLD leader Abhay Chautala emphasized that the alliance is driven by a commitment to serve the people of Haryana rather than any selfish interests. Chautala expressed the coalition’s intent to address the public’s growing discontent with the BJP’s decade-long governance and to prevent the Congress from regaining power.
“Today the sentiment of the common man is that the BJP, which has been looting this state for 10 years, should be removed from power and the Congress party should be kept away from power,” Chautala said. “We will bring together people who have formed their own political parties in Haryana, who are against both the BJP and the Congress, and we will form a front in which people’s trust will increase and in the coming times a coalition government will be formed in this state,” he added.
BSP national coordinator Akash Anand also spoke at the press conference, highlighting the efforts made by both parties to solidify the alliance. He noted that a detailed meeting had taken place recently between BSP supremo Mayawati and Chautala to finalize the terms of the partnership. “In that meeting, it had been decided that out of 90 assembly seats in Haryana, the BSP will contest on 37 seats,” Anand confirmed.
The renewed alliance comes after the BSP had previously called off its nearly nine-month-old partnership with the INLD in February 2019, amid internal family disputes within the Chautala family. At that time, the INLD was Haryana’s main opposition outfit, and the split had a significant impact on the state’s political landscape.
As Haryana gears up for the assembly elections, the INLD-BSP alliance is expected to present a formidable challenge to the ruling BJP and the Congress. This coalition aims to unite various political entities and individuals who oppose the BJP and Congress, thereby increasing public trust and paving the way for a potential coalition government in Haryana.