Chandigarh, April 2 (IANS) Politics makes strange bedfellows and that's what's happening in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.
In Punjab, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The bond between the two parties has been over three decades old and both have been running an alliance government in Punjab since 2007 too.
In Haryana, the Akali Dal is close friends with Haryana's regional political outfit, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) led by former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala. The father-son duo of Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal, who lead the Akali Dal, have a thick relationship with the Chautala family. Badal senior, 86, was a close friend of Chautala's father and former deputy prime minister Devi Lal.
While the Akali Dal sides in Haryana with the INLD, the BJP is tied up politically with Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) headed by Kuldeep Bishnoi, son of former chief minister Bhajan Lal.
As Haryana's 10 Lok Sabha seats go to the polls April 10, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal will address rallies in favour of INLD candidates. Badal was present in Hisar recently when Dushyant Chautala, 26, great-grandson of Devi Lal and fourth generation leader from his family, filed his nomination papers. When Badal addresses these rallies, he will be politically opposing the BJP candidates, besides the Congress.
The INLD had a tieup with the BJP in Haryana before 2009. As the alliance soured, the BJP later went with the HJC.
Badal senior tried his best recently to work out a deal between the INLD and BJP once again. However, since the BJP was already committed to the HJC, the alliance with INLD did not work out. However, a post-general election arrangement between the INLD and BJP is still a possibility given the fact that Haryana assembly polls are due in October this year.
During his rally in Haryana's Gohana town Saturday, BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi openly snubbed the INLD by telling voters not to trust the INLD and instead vote for HJC-BJP candidates. "If they are not with us today, how will they be with us after the elections?" Modi said.
The INLD, which had been giving indications of a post-poll tie-up with the BJP and giving support to Modi, immediately hit back. Senior INLD leader and Chautala's son Abhay Chautala accused the BJP of selling tickets for Haryana's Lok Sabha seats to Congress rebels.
"Out of the eight BJP candidates, four are Congress leaders. This is the first time that we have seen Lok Sabha tickets being sold to rebels from other parties. If anyone wants our support, he will have to come to our doorstep and request for help," Abhay told a political rally.
The BJP, which is contesting eight Lok Sabha seats in Haryana (the remaining two are with HJC), has fielded four leaders who switched loyalties from the Congress recently. The BJP could not find enough leaders in its own ranks to contest polls this time.
The political posturing apart, the result of the Lok Sabha polls only will reveal where these political parties stand with each other in the post-poll scenario.
LS candidate admitted as Independent moves HC
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Friday agreed to hear a plea by an advocate who filed his nomination to contest the Lok Sabha election from the Bhartiya Janta Dal (Integrated)
Show proof of my resignation: Yadav
New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) AAP leader Yogendra Yadav on Thursday dared his colleagues to give proof of his resignation from the party's national executive along with fellow leader Prashant
Ayodhya Ram Mandir: CM Yogi Adityanath performed Shilapujan of Ram Lalla's sanctum, and said - Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple will be the nation's temple of India
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the construction work of the divine sanctum sanctorum of the grand Ram temple being built at Ram Janmabhoomi. The Chief Minister laid the first stone for the
Petrol Diesel Price: Oil companies have released the prices of petrol and diesel, know how much are the prices in your city
Oil companies have released the prices of petrol and diesel for today. Today companies have not made any change in oil prices. Recently, the government had announced to reduce the prices of petrol and
CM Nitish Kumar will give 'challenge' to VIP supremo Mukesh Sahni, political temperature likely to rise further
By-elections are going to be held for the lone Bochahan seat of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. This has made a huge impact on the politics of Bihar before the elections. It is believed that after the
Who will challenge Modi in 2024 amid a scattered opposition?
It was being said that the recent elections in five states are semifinals and the final match in the general election of 2024.
Modi hits out at Congress for insulting Narasimha Rao
Nizamabad, April 22 (IANS) BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Tuesday lashed out at the Congress for what he described its arrogance of power by insulting Telugu sons of soil,
INSACOG: Corona's Omicron variant specializes in dodging immunity, reduces the risk of serious illness
Amidst the increasing cases of Omicron infection of the coronavirus in the country, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium INSACOG in its latest bulletin, citing global data, has said that now we
IMF's alarm on recession before G-20 summit, there is a big crisis in China and Europe too; what is estimation
The International Monetary Fund raised concerns about the global economy just before the G-20 meeting. The IMF says that the world economy seems to be weakening. The global body said that the
Sri Lanka's crisis: PM Ranil Wickremesinghe took over as Finance Minister to improve the country's economic situation, President administered oath
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is facing an economic crisis, has been sworn in as the Finance Minister. After assuming this post, his first task will be to get the country out of