The fractured electoral verdict in Haryana has led both the principal claimants to power—Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress—to resort to those very tactics which has brought a bad name for politics in the lexicon of the voters.
Throughout Friday, deals and counter deals were proposed, accepted, rejected and then again revised proposals and assurances were made and follow-ups made.
Nothing was certain though as the high voltage action had shifted to the national Capital New Delhi. The backroom managers of BJP were busy with the Independents and JJP on Dhanteras, a day considered to be that of wealth and prosperity.
Realising their importance in a hung Assembly, the Independents raised their stakes, formed a sort of a consortium for a better bargain and the moneybag of tainted Independent MLA Gopal Kanda and his chartered aircraft and helicopter came in handy.
“Without any condition,” was the phrase which the Independent MLAs coined to pledge their initial support to BJP which is 6 short of a simple majority to form the Government. Forget those who follow politics closely, any layman would tell you what that means. Some of these Independent MLAs met BJP Working President JP Nadda and discussed the modalities of Government formation.
Given the outreach of BJP, being the ruling party in the Centre as well as the State and networking skills of some of its leaders, it clearly emerged as the main contender of power by the end of the day.
Having 40 MLAs and emerging as the single largest party helped the cause. Besides Ministerial positions, Independents and several MLAs in JJP were of the opinion that it served them better to go with the party which had the momentum on its side.
Congress, on the other hand, was handicapped by lack of resources. Despite party’s strongman Bhupinder Singh Hooda and some of his lieutenants trying hard and using years of networking skills and goodwill, it largely seemed to be a futile exercise. The Jananayak Janata Party (JJP) with 10 MLAs was playing truant and did not commit anything to Hooda even though they share the common Jat vote bank.
When the support was not forthcoming from JJP, it was futile for the Congress managers to approach the Independents. “For us first and foremost is the support of the JJP and only then come the Independents,” said a Hooda camp follower, on the attempts to cobble together a majority. Congress leaders, nevertheless, kept saying throughout the day that six to seven Independents are with them and they are in touch with the JJP to discuss their next political move. A desperate Hooda later said that all demands of JJP were acceptable to the party if they come on board.
Realising its role, JJP proved elusive, open to support anyone and did not commit anything to any party till late on Friday. It gradually realized that if BJP gets the support of all the Independents, there will be little or no chance of the party playing the kingmaker. In his press conference, Digvijay Chautala kept making vague statements without giving any indication which way he would go.
However, political sources indicated that he would go with whosoever is in a better position to form a stable Government. At this juncture, obviously it was BJP.
“There are two reasons of JJP veering towards BJP at this point of time. One is the possibility of his young MLAs being poached and party broken sooner or later and second, he would prefer to have a say in the Government as a part of it to further consolidate his position in the Jat dominated areas of the state,” said a seasoned political veteran here. However, given the arithmetic of the Assembly this time, all possibilities are open till the floor test which is still some time away and the JJP as well as the Independents would bide their time to weigh the pros and cons of the decision they make.
However, given that Kanda having a chequered history with criminal antecedents was the first to come out openly in support of BJP and offering to mobilize support of the Independents, the saffron party was on the back-foot for a while in the day.
“We never sought his support, he came on his own. What can we do if someone takes to media and offers unconditional support,” a BJP leader offered as explanation. Kanda was charged with sexual exploitation and abatement of suicide of Geetika Sharma, an airhostess with his now defunct MDLR airline. Geetika’s mother too committed suicide six months later, accusing Kanda of abatement.
“We are asking hooligans to come and support. What about the charges against him? What about the slogan in Haryana of Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao,” Aniket Sharma, brother of Geetika Sharma told media, adding that there was a charge-sheet of 1800 pages pending against him. Given the outrage, it seems BJP would have nothing to do with Kanda. More so, as it seem to have arrived at some sort of an understanding with Dushyant Chautala’s JJP.
Top BJP leaders are expected to meet Dushyant and some of his key advisors to arrive at a mutually acceptable formula to run the new government in the state.
It could be offering the post of Deputy Chief Minister to Dushyant and important Cabinet positions to at least three of his MLAs.
As the BJP does not have any prominent Jat face after the defeat of its two ministers, Capt Abhimanyu and OP Dhankar and state unit President Subhash Barala, Dushyant could help the party’s cause to an extent.
Also, most of the Cabinet berths are up for grabs as eight ministers in the Manohar Lal Khattar government lost the elections. In such a scenario, it would not be difficult to accommodate MLAs of JJP and some Independents in the new Cabinet.
As events moved at a fast face throughout the day and the evening, it became apparent by the end of the evening that BJP would form the next Government and Congress would have to play a strong Opposition in the State.