Ally headache for BJP in Delhi elections — Haryana partner JJP wants 12 seats, SAD 6

JJP, which helped BJP form govt in Haryana, is threatening to field own candidates if its demand is not met. Old ally SAD wants 2 more seats than last time.

File photo of Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala in New Delhi | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

New Delhi: With elections due in Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party is under pressure from its allies who are assertively demanding what they believe is their fair share of assembly seats. 

While long-time ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), is eyeing six seats, up from the four it contested in the 2015 elections, the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which the BJP tied up with in Haryana just last year, is demanding at least a dozen tickets in the national capital. 

The Dushyant Chautala-led JJP, which helped the BJP form the government in Haryana, appears to be in no mood to back down. The party is threatening to field its own candidates in the 12 seats if the BJP does not accommodate it. 

“We have decided to fight the Delhi elections. We will field candidates in constituencies that border Haryana,” JJP chief Dushyant Chautala said. “The ball is now in the BJP’s court. If the BJP gives us a respectable number of seats, it will be good for both parties. Otherwise, we will finalise candidates in the next two to three days.” 

The JJP is eyeing seats that have a sizeable Jat population such as Najafgarh, Mundka, Mahipalpur, Mehrauli, Nangloi, Badarpur, Devli and Chhatarpur. 

The party has already formed a five-member committee to screen candidates. 

“We have nothing to lose in Delhi,” a JJP MLA told ThePrint. “Even if we win two seats, it will be a bonus for the party but if we fight solo, it may damage the BJP,” said the legislator, who did not wish to be named. 

The BJP’s Delhi unit has not yet decided on an alliance with the JJP but after the setback in Jharkhand, where the party went it alone, there is a section that is willing to offer four to five seats to the Haryana outfit. 

“We are careful this time and are weighing the JJP’s strength in the constituencies that it is demanding,” a senior BJP leader said. “But a few leaders from Haryana are opposed to Dushyant’s demands. They believe that if we concede seats in Delhi, it will then lead to Dushyant being more assertive in Haryana.”

Akalis too want more seats 

The Shiromani Akali Dal, one of the BJP’s oldest allies, is also eyeing more seats. The two parties had contested the 2015 assembly elections together, with the Akalis fielding candidates in four seats. 

Apart from Rajouri Garden, Kalkaji, Harinagar and Shahdara, the Akalis now want Moti Nagar and Rohtash Nagar too. 

In the last elections, two of the Akali candidates — Harmeet Singh from Kalkaji and Jitender Pal from Shahdara — had fought on the BJP symbol. Its other two candidates, Manjinder Singh Sirsa from Rajouri Garden and Avtar Singh at Harinagar, had contested on the SAD symbol of weighing scales. 

The Akalis had, however, contested the 2019 Haryana assembly election separately, supporting the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). 

One of the BJP in-charges of Delhi told ThePrint that talks are in the final stages but nothing has been decided yet. “Unreasonable demands for seats will not be met,” the leader said. “The electoral strength of the Akalis has weakened over the years. We have to keep that in mind while deciding on sharing seats.” 

The BJP’s internal surveys do not paint a very rosy picture in the national capital. In this scenario, the BJP is wary while finalising seats, especially after Jharkhand, where the party’s refusal to ally with the Sudesh Mahto-led All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) cost it at least five seats. It won only 25 seats, way short of the majority mark in the 80-member House.

Other NDA allies such as Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the JD(U) are also fighting it alone in Delhi. The LJP has already announced 15 candidates.