Chandigarh, Sep 4 (IANS): The Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and Azad Samaj Party (ASP) alliance on Wednesday released the first list of 19 candidates for the October 5 Haryana Assembly elections.
While JJP chief Dushyant Chautala will contest from the Uchana Kalan constituency, his brother Digvijay Chautala will be in the fray from Dabwali.
Out of 19, Chandra Shekhar Azad's ASP (Kanshi Ram) announced the names of four candidates.
After the alliance was announced, former Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said it would take Haryana on the path of progress and both parties would fight for the poor, farmers, and labourers together.
Stating that the alliance has infused enthusiasm among the youth across the state, Chautala said this time a triangular contest would be seen in the Assembly elections in which the JJP-ASP alliance would play an important role.
Eyeing the Dalit voters who constitute 21 per cent of the state's population, out of the total 90 seats, the JJP, an offshoot of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), will contest 70 seats while the Azad Samaj Party will field candidates in the remaining 20 seats.
Interestingly, the INLD has already stitched an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to woo the Dalits with leaders of both parties agreeing to project INLD legislator Abhay Singh Chautala as the Chief Minister’s face.
As per the alliance, the INLD will contest 53 seats, while the BSP will field candidates on 37 seats.
At the launch of the JJP-Azad Samaj Party alliance, both Dushyant Chauta and Chandra Shekhar, who are both 36 years old, promised to fight for the rights and welfare of the farmers and to form a "government of the youth".
Dushyant Chautala promised an alliance lasting ‘40-50 years’.
"When Chaudhary Kanshi Ram staged a massive protest at Boat Club (in Delhi), Chaudhary Devi Lal was the first one to come and support him. At that time, Kanshi Ram demanded that B.R. Ambedkar be honoured with Bharat Ratna. When Devi Lal became Deputy Prime Minister, B.R. Ambedkar was not only honoured with Bharat Ratna but his statue was also put up at Parliament," he had said. He was categorically clear in saying that his party would not align with the BJP as "he is aware how the saffron party breaks its allies".
The INLD is banking more on its patriarch O.P. Chautala, who was released from Tihar Jail on July 2, 2021. after serving nine-and-a-half years of a 10-year prison sentence.
The BJP, which is in power in the state is eyeing a third-consecutive term in the polls scheduled on October 5. Results will be declared on October 8.