The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has decided to again join hands with its former ally, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), for the Haryana Assembly elections scheduled later this year. Under the arrangement, out of total 90 assembly seats in Haryana, BSP will contest 37 seats leaving the rest for its senior partner in Haryana, where the ruling BJP is eyeing to come to power for third time in a row.
Addressing the joint press conference, INLD secretary-general Abhay Chautala and BSP national coordinator Akash Anand on Thursday said that the alliance would explore options to join hands with other like-minded social and political outfits.
Anand said that recently, BSP chief Mayawati and Chautala had held a detailed meeting regarding firming up of the alliance. The alliance's Chief Minister face would be Abhay Chautala, the grandson of former Deputy Prime Minister and state’s tallest Jat leader, Chaudhary Devi Lal.
“In that meeting, it had been decided that the INLD would contest on 53 out of 90 seats and the BSP would fight on the remaining 37 seats,” he added.
As per the manifesto, both parties promised to do away with contractual employment by offering permanent jobs, setting up solar plants to minimize the electricity bill of each household to Rs 500, besides free water, old-age pension of Rs 7,500 per month, Rs 21,000 unemployment allowance and one employed person in every house.
For the Scheduled Castes, there would be a 100-yard plot for each family, free coaching for competitive exams, free education up to Class 10, etc.
In February 2019, the BSP had called off its nearly nine-month-old alliance with the INLD, which was then Haryana’s main opposition outfit. The development at that time had come amid a feud in the Chautala family. After the feud within the INLD, five-time Chief Minister OP Chautala’s grandson Dushyant split the party vertically in 2018 and formed the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP). In 2019, the JJP extended support to the BJP to form the government in the state. In March, it withdrew its support.