Chandigarh: INLD patriarch Om Prakash Chautala has hinted at a possible tie-up with the BJP for the forthcoming 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Talking to media persons after a massive rally in Ladwa, Kurukshetra, Chautala said the INLD was not averse to joining hands with “any like-minded party”.
On being asked over the split of INLD-BSP alliance, Chautala said, “In this season of elections, many political alliances get forged and broken.”
The INLD supremo was further asked if he would combine forces with the BJP, to which he responded: “We don’t harbour hatred towards anyone. Parties with matching ideologies are always welcome. I can’t say what lies in the future.”
The INLD and the BJP had previously forged an alliance in 1982 under the leadership of late Devi Lal. Since then, the two parties have had an off-and-on relationship, contesting many polls together, while splitting up in some.
Chautala is currently out on a 21-day-furlough from the Tihar Jail and is utilizing his time to gather support for the party which was decimated in the recently held Jind by-elections.
The party suffered a humiliating defeat with its candidate Umedh Singh Redhu polling a mere 3454 votes, forfeiting even his security.
Interestingly, the INLD lost its major vote bank to Dushyant Chautala’s Jananayak Janata Party (JJP), which had lent its support to independent candidate Digvijay Chautala.
Digvijay had an unexpected run in Jind, finishing second behind BJP’s Krishna Chand Midha and leaving Congress’ Randeep Surjewala far behind.
Om Prakash Chautala refused to comment on his grandsons, though Digvijay made it clear that there were no chances of a truce as of now.
“We never went against Chaudhary Om Prakash Chautala. We respect him and will continue to do so. He is not only my grandfather; we have learnt politics holding his fingers. However, we will never go with the rest of the Lok Dal (Abhay Chautala). They are non-serious politicians,” said Digvijay Chautala.
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