Alliance in Haryana under strain: Sitting MLA says govt ‘most corrupt’

Relations between the ruling newfound alliance between the BJP-JJP combine in Haryana have come under strain with a sitting MLA of the JJP reportedly accusing the ruling dispensation as ‘most corrupt’.

The outburst by Chautala-led JJP MLA Devender Babli comes amid another sitting MLA in Haryana accusing a former BJP minister in Manohar Lal Khattar government of serious corruption charges. Babli is considered close to JJP president and deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala.

The MLA up the ante against the government saying he was ashamed of being a part of the government. The JJP MLA said the people of the state were not satisfied with the government and maintained that the chief minister's claim of an honest regime were all hoax. The MLA also castigated the police as ‘goondas in uniform’.

Babli’s vented out his frustration post a grievance committee meeting. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday reacting to the outburst by the JJP MLA said he would probe his charges against the police. If sources are to be believed, even the word of Dushyant Chautala in the echelons of power that be is not being regarded in the right earnest. In fact, JJP MLA Babli said he had brought all these issues to the notice of Dushyant Chautala but to little avail, even as he says Chautala attempted to address these issues.

The one-year-old JJP is also battling internal strife. One of its senior most MLA, Raj Kumar Gautam, who recently resigned as the national vice-president of the party in protest, is up in arms against Dushyant Chautala over issues of the cabinet berth.

The BJP and the JJP fought the recent assembly elections in Haryana as arch-rivals but entered a post-alliance to share power in Jatland as the BJP fell short 6 MLA’s to form the government. The JJP in its maiden assembly election not only managed over 15% of the vote share but also won 10 seats. In a quid pro quo, Dushyant Chautala was made Deputy CM and another of his party MLA was accommodated as a minister in Khattar’s cabinet.