Maya ties up with Bhajan Lal

NEW DELHI: With the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government in Haryana all set to advance assembly polls in the state after getting the thumbs-up from the electorate in the general election, political parties have started planning their moves.

One such move was made by BSP on Thursday, when it stitched a pre-poll alliance with former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal���s Janhit Congress (HJC). The pact was clinched in Lucknow. With BSP and HJC representing separate social constituencies, the alliance between the parties can upset the electoral calculations of the rival formations in the state.

With the two parties joining hands, the stage is set for a triangular contest in the state in the coming assembly polls, with the ruling Congress pitted against the INLD-BJP combine on the one hand, and the BSP-HJC alliance on the other.
���We have forged an alliance with HJC for contesting the assembly elections in Haryana together. Out of 90 assembly seats HJC will contest 50 seats, while the remaining 40 seats will be contested by BSP,��� Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati told newspersons in Lucknow.

According to the terms of engagement worked out between the two parties, while Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi, who���s the president of HJC, would be the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance, the deputy chief minister would be from BSP. ���We have forged this alliance, which is guided by long-term considerations. We���ll also contest 2014 Lok Sabha election together, with the BSP contest six seats and HJC four,������ she said.

The BSP leader hoped the alliance would get a majority in Haryana. ``Poll percentage of both the parties in the Lok Sabha elections indicates that we have a good standing in the state,������ she contended.

Even though BSP drew a blank in the state, it confounded political pundits by registering a steep increase in its vote-share in the state. It polled 15.73% votes, more than INLD (15.67 %) and BJP (12%). The NDA partners had contested five seats each, while BSP had fielded its candidates in all 10 seats in the state.

HJC managed to keep its banner afloat by bagging the Hissar Lok Sabha constituency, but could secure only 9.87% of the total vote-share. The seat was won by Mr Bhajan Lal. The remaining nine seats were won by Congress.