JJP toughens stance, seeks early resolution

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 1

With the imbroglio between farmers and the Central government continuing in the Capital, the Jannayak Janta Party, the BJP’s alliance partner in Haryana, has toughened its stand for an early resolution of the issue, giving jitters to the one-year-old Khattar government.

The BJP’s alliance partner in Haryana, the JJP today said that the party was waiting for the outcome of meeting between farmers’ organisations and the Centre.

Even as the leaders of farmers’ organisations were holding talks with the Central leaders, Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala’s younger brother and JJP leader Digvijay Chautala said the party’s future course would depend on the outcome of the meeting.

The 90-member Haryana Assembly has 40 BJP MLAs and 10 from the ally JJP. The Congress has 31 legislators.

With Meham Independent MLA Balraj Kundu already openly against the government and another Independent Sombir Sangwan withdrawing his support today, the JJP’s support is crucial for Khattar government to remain in power.

Claiming to be a party of farmers, the JJP is under tremendous pressure from its support base ever since the farmers began their agitation against the new farm laws.

The party’s MLA from Barwala Jogi Ram Sihag, who had earlier refused the offer of chairmanship of Haryana Housing Board, has already the criticised the Khattar government.

Earlier, JJP national president Ajay Chautala suggested that the Centre shouldn’t have any problem in giving a written assurance to the protesting farmers on the minimum support price (MSP) when senior BJP leaders, including the Prime Minister, were giving this assurance verbally.

“When Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister are repeatedly assuring that the MSP will continue, there is no harm in adding that line in the laws,” Ajay Chautala said.

When asked that did his statement mean that the JJP could have a rethink on its alliance with the BJP in Haryana in case there was no positive outcome of the talks, Digvijay said he was not saying this, but certainly the senior leadership of the party was watching the developments with political aspects in mind.