New Delhi: The BJP on Monday formally announced the end of its alliance with the Om Prakash Chautala-led Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Haryana. Senior BJP leader Vijay Goel told NDTV that his party would contest the state elections alone this time.
The move comes only a few days after BJP's Chintan Baithak in Shimla where several leaders had said that continuing with Chautala's party was not a wise thing to do. Also, seat-sharing for the coming elections was not working out.
The BJP feels Chautala is a liability and the cases against him are an irritant. However, Chautala's son Ajay says they have no problem with the alliance.
There were reports that a senior BJP leader questioned the alliance with the INLD after the dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP-INLD alliance in Haryana failed to win any of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
The ruling Congress in Haryana, meanwhile, is upbeat about elections in early October and the gamble of the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government to go for early polls may just pay off.
Most leaders in the state see this as an opportune moment for early assembly elections. The BJP-INLD coalition split would save the Congress from a drought backlash as harvesting of the summer crops starts only after October, and there is a perceived pro-Congress wave as the mood in the party is upbeat after it won nine of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state.