Haryana setback, Shiv Sena demand worry BJP

Resmi Sivaram

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership was in crisis mood rather than on a free celebration on Thursday, after Haryana denied the party a simple majority to continue its rule into a second term, and ally Shiv Sena in Maharashtra raised a demand to run the government.

The BJP cannot accept a situation where it loses control of two key states, especially Maharashtra, the nerve centre of India’s economy.

But the reality is harsh: it has lost Haryana and its seats have come down considerably in Maharashtra while the Congress has clearly made gains.

BJP chief Amit Shah has summoned Haryana’s outgoing chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to Delhi. Talks are on, primarily aimed at ensuring that the state has a government with the party holding control.

Khattar has a lot to answer too. Seven of his ministers lost their seats, something that happens only to an unpopular government. Prime Minister Modi was among campaign stars. Nothing has worked.

The BJP emerged as the largest single party, but the denial of a majority is considered as a serious setback, coming as it does just six months after the thumping victory in the Lok Sabha election.

Dushyant Chautala, the leader of the local JJP, has emerged the kingmaker, holding a crucial 10 seats in hand that would help decide the majority. While the majority mark in the 90-strong Assembly is 46, the BJP has only 39 while the Congress has 33.

There are 8 independents. The BJP can still form a solid government if the JJP supports, but the Chautala party is demanding the post of chief minister.

Which means it would be a hard task for the BJP to gain leadership of the government with the support of the JJP.

As for the Congress, its 33 plus JJP’s 10 will not add up to a majority count, but if it can woo independents, it might be able to.

What matters ultimately is that the BJP has not been able to win the state. There’s nothing for the party to celebrate about Haryana, which Khattar ruled with an iron grip in the past five years.

Amid the perception that the reign of corruption led to the defeat, BJP state president resigned.

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has appealed to JJP and independent candidates who are winning to support Congress.

“Haryana has given its mandate against BJP. Entire opposition must join hands to support Congress and form the government,” Hooda told the media.

Dushyant Chautala hasn’t revealed his mind, but JJP leaders in Delhi said there was no deal without the post of chief minister.

“Neither BJP nor Congress will cross 40 seats. I believe that JJP will hold the key to the formation of government in Haryana,” Dushyant said.

What remains to be seen is whether the BJP, which still insists it has won Haryana, will concede the government to JJP. That will be like admitting defeat. For the Congress, such a concession would not bring any damage as it was in the opposition only.

Besides, the Congress tried the experiment in Karnataka, supporting the Janata Dal Secular to form the government.

The quiet demand that the Shiv Sena has raised is more troubling for the BJP. The demand comes at a time when the BJP has weakened and the Congress-NCP alliance has put in a more credible perfomance of improvement. From 185, the alliance has fallen to 158 seats.

The Congress and NCP rose from 89 to 98.

BJP sources in Delhi say this was anticipated and hence Narendra Modi has kept a berth at the Centre for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who may not continue in Maharashtra if Sena takes the reins. While externally the Shiv Sena talks of “50-50 sharing,” its chief Udhav Thackaray has clearly stated he wants to crown son Aditya as chief minister.

“Aditya (Sun) will rise over Maharashtra,” he kept on repeating during the campaign.

The Sena even questioned the vigorous campaign that Modi and Amit Shah were running in the state, suggesting that the winning card is with the Sena.

In a huge shock for the Bharatiya Janata Party, its Beed strongwoman and minister Pankaja Munde -- for whom both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had campaigned -- lost in Parli to her estranged cousin and Nationalist Congress Party’s Leader of Opposition in the Lagislative Council, Dhananjay Munde, on Thursday.