India bloc lacks strategy and face: Dushyant Chautala
JJP) MLA Dushyant Chautala said the opposition INDIA bloc lacks a strategy as well as a face to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha election. A former deputy chief minister of Haryana, whose party was earlier a member of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), told ET that the partnership broke down because the BJP refused to part with a single Lok Sabha seat or finalise seat-sharing agreement for Haryana assembly election with the regional party.
However, Chautala did not rule out the possibility of an alliance with either the BJP or the Congress in future. «You cannot predict the future.
There are no permanent enemies in politics. Your agenda and people of the state are your priority. You take a decision keeping this in mind,» he said, adding that the coalition government under former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar worked very well.
«It was a very good experience and both the parties worked well together. The state is one of the most progressive states in the country — our revenues have doubled.»
On why the alliance with the BJP broke down if the government worked well, Chautala said, «Seat-sharing was the main issue. BJP wanted us to fight one seat of Rohtak but we wanted to contest on two seats — Bhiwani-Mahendragarh and Hisar.
Since they had 10 sitting MPs, we gave them an offer that JJP would not fight Lok Sabha elections but BJP should finalise a seat-sharing agreement for assembly polls and announce ₹5,100 old age pension in the state. The total burden would have been Rs 700-800 crore only. Now we are ready to fight on all 10 seats, which includes Rohtak.»
