JJP could not match INLD's 2014 performance: Birender Singh

Former Union Minister and BJP leader Chaudhary Birender Singh on Saturday refrained from making a direct attack on Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala but took a swipe at him saying he projected his party as an alternative for Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in Haryana but failed to get even 19 seats won by it in 2014.

In an interview to ANI, Singh also said that governments in Haryana could complete their term only when a party got a clear majority. Alliance governments could never complete their full term due to several reasons, he said.

"The BJP didn't get a majority on its own. So it needed support from either JJP or Independents. We had both options. JJP came forward and extended support to us for a stable government. Those who need to prove majority, why will they deny the offer," he said.

Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP, said that JJP was a breakaway faction of INLD and claimed to be the real heir of Chautalas.

"The JJP was saying that it will form the government in Haryana. The JJP chief sought people's mandate to make him the Chief Minister. JJP came into existence after a split in INLD, that won 19 seats in 2014. They were claiming to be more popular than INLD but could manage to win only 10 seats," he said.

BJP on Friday entered into a coalition with Dushyant Chautala-led JJP. The newly formed alliance staked claim to form the government in Haryana on Saturday.

According to the agreement reached between the two parties, BJP's Manohar Lal Khattar will continue to be Chief Minister while the Deputy Chief Minister will be from JJP.

"When such a situation (hung Assembly) comes, big parties have to compromise. In 2009, Bhupinder Singh Hooda gave the slogan of Haryana number one and went for early polls. But the Congress could manage to win only 40 seats. He took the support of Haryana Janhit Congress of Bhajan Lal. The issue went to court after five of his MLAs defected to Congress."

"Such circumstances affect the pace of development. Many development projects get stalled due to the stand of ally partners," he said.

Singh recalled whenever there was a coalition government in the state, it couldn't complete its term.

"BJP supported Bansi Lal government but the alliance couldn't complete its term. When I was in Congress, we too supported Bansi Lal but the government could not sustain. This has happened many a time in Haryana. Whenever there has been a clear majority, the government completed its term but in case of a hung Assembly, the government could not complete its term due to several reasons," he said.

"Let's see what happens. There is a new combination," he said adding that stability was "very important" in democracy and development of the state.

The political rivalry between Singh's family and Chautalas is not new in Hisar. Both families have a long political history and stronghold in the state.

Dushyant Chautala defeated Prem Lata, wife of Birender Singh from Uchana Kalan constituency of Jind district by 47,452 votes. This Jat dominated constituency is a part of Hisar Lok Sabha seat.

After suffering defeat at the hands of Prem Lata from Uchana Kalan in 2014 Assembly polls in Haryana, Dushyant Chautala was trounced by her son Brijendra Singh in Hisar Lok Sabha seat.

Birender Singh won from Uchana five times. Former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, despite being an outsider, also won from Uchana Kalan in 2009.