HJC-BL to be key factor in Haryana: Kuldeep Bishnoi

With not a single party reaching the half-way mark in state Assembly, the Haryana Janhit Congress (Bhajan Lal) today said that his party and independents will play a key role in the formation of the next government in state.
    
"I have been receiving fillers for an alliance from both Indian National Lok Dal  (INLD) supremo Om Parkash Chautala and Bhupinder Singh Hooda (chief minister) and those against him," Kuldeep Bishnoi told PTI over phone adding, "My party and independents will play a key role in the formation of the next government in state."

Stating that he was open to support any political outfit, Bishnoi, said, "I have called a meeting of my party MLAs tomorrow in Delhi to decide on the future course of action." HJC-BL after parting ways with the Congress was unsuccessful to forge a pre-poll alliance with the BSP and later with the BJP on seat sharing.

Of the total 90 assembly constituencies, HJC(BL) fielded 87 candidates out of which six emerged victorious. Bishnoi himself won from Adampur seat, while his mother Jasma Devi was unlucky as she lost to Congress nominee Sampat Singh from Nalwa constituency.

In the final results, where Congress could muster only 40 seats, INLD surprised everyone by bagging 31 seats and BJP four, the key to formation of government other than the Congress is in the hands of HJC BL, sources in HJC said.

"Both the Congress and INLD will leave no stone unturned to poach the independents (whose strength has come down from 10 in 2005 to seven in this poll), as their support will be a deciding factor in the government formation," a HJC leader said.

Shiromani Akali Dal, which made its electoral debut in the state also bagged a Vidhan Sabha seat with Charanjit Singh Rori winning Kalanwali seat defeating Sushil Kumar Indora who had deserted INLD ahead of polls and contested on Congress ticket.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati's BSP continued with its dismal show, as it could register a win on a solitary seat of Jagadhari. In the 2005 Assembly polls, the BSP had just one seat in its kitty.

The BJP may have succeeded in doubling its tally from two to four in this elections, but the party continued with poor show as it fielded its candidates on all the 90 seats.

On eight assembly seats the saffron party finished at the second spot. State BJP chief Krishan Pal Gujjar was among the prominent winner from the party from Tigaon seat. Left parties CPI(M) and CPI, which had fielded candidates on 11 and eight seats respectively failed to open their account in the state.

The Nationalist Congress Party and Lalu Parsad Yadav's RJD also tried their luck on 38 and three seats respectively but were unsuccessful in their efforts.

As the magic figure to form the government in the 90 member house is 45, independents with seven in numbers will be crucial in show of strength for the formation of the government.

Both Congress and the INLD will leave no stones unturned to poach the independents as their support will be a deciding factor in the government formation.

Even as their role has become crucial, the strength of independents has come down from ten in 2005 assembly polls to seven at the present hustings.

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) created a history of sorts by winning a vidhan sabha seat for the first time after independence on its own sympbol outside the border state.

SAD entered the polls in alliance with its old friend INLD and contested on two seats - Kalanwali and Ambala city.

Charanjit Singh Rori of SAD bagged Kalanwali seat defeating Sushil Kumar Indora who had deserted INLD ahead of polls and contested on Congress ticket.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati's BSP continued with its dismal show in elections in Haryana as the party could register a win only on a solitary seat of Jagadhari. In the 2005 Assembly polls, the BSP had just one seat in its kitty.

The BJP may have succeeded in doubling its tally from two to four in this elections, but the party continued with poor show as it fielded its candidates on all the 90 seats.

On eight assembly seats the Saffron party finished at the second spot. State BJP chief Krishan Pal Gujjar was among the prominent winner from the party from Tigaon seat. Left parties CPI (M) and CPI had fielded their candidates on 11 and eight seats respectively. However, the Left parties were no where in reckoning in the state.

Besides, NCP and Lalu Parsad Yadav's RJD also tried their luck on 38 and three seats respectively but where unsuccessful in their efforts as both had dismal show in the state.

The people of the state largely voted in favour of Congress and INLD which bagged 40 and 31 seats respectively.

While Congress needed support of another five candidates to touch the figure of 45, the INLD had to go extra miles to form the Government.

The tally of Congress fell from 67 in 2005 to 40 whereas INLD showed a remarkable improvement by raising its figure from nine in the last assembly polls to 31.

The independents finished second on ten seats and BSP and SAD on one each assembly constituency.

While Congress returned as runner up on 42 seats, its main opposition INLD on 24 seats.