With clouds hanging over the continuity of HJC-BJP alliance, Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) chief Kuldeep Bishnoi today asserted that his party was firm on not negotiating on the original terms and conditions of the partnership and hit out at the state saffron leaders for publicly airing their views against the tie-up.
Bishnoi, the younger son of late former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, stated this in a letter to BJP chief Amit Shah who had yesterday said in Delhi that his party workers should focus on ensuring victory in Haryana on its own.
"On innumerable occasions I have conveyed to state and central BJP leaders that HJC is not open to re-negotiating the original terms and conditions of the alliance agreement.
"We would request BJP to also reverently abide by the terms and conditions of the alliance agreement, which contains the voice of people of Haryana," he said in the letter.
With majority of Haryana BJP leaders favouring re-working the terms and conditions of the alliance, Bishnoi's letter to Shah came in the backdrop of his closed-door meeting with Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh in Gurgaon today.
The HJC camp had yesterday asked the BJP to clear the air on alliance for the upcoming Assembly polls after Shah during BJP National Council in Delhi told his party workers to focus on ensuring victory in Haryana on its own.
"At the outset, let me take an opportunity of congratulating you for taking over as BJP President. In fact, ever since you took over as the BJP chief, I have been trying to contact you to convey my best wishes. My office has been regularly following up with you for an appointment, but without avail," Bishnoi wrote.
He mentioned that the HJC-BJP alliance was entered in 2011 for Lok Sabha and for the state Assembly elections.
"The terms and conditions were agreed upon after detailed discussions between senior leaders of the two parties, and the same were formally laid out in written agreement. This agreement was duly acknowledged and approved by the BJP's Parliamentary Board.
"In the LS polls, the BJP was to contest eight seats and HJC was to fight two seats. In the state assembly, both parties would contest 45 seats each and Bishnoi, leader of the alliance and HJC chief, would be Chief Minister for the two-and-a-half years and BJP nominee for the remaining period," wrote Bishnoi.
He has also sent a copy of this letter to the members of the BJP's Parliamentary Board, besides state BJP chief Ram Bilas Sharma and the party's state affairs in-charge Jagdish Mukhi.
