Chautala to stay off Congress

In what may turn out to be a major relief for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of its estranged partners has said it will never align with the opposition Congress party.

Making this announcement, Om Prakash Chautala, the Haryana Chief Minister who pulled his Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) out of the BJP-led coalition last month, said yesterday that he is keeping the option of forming a post-poll alliance with the BJP.

Interacting with the media soon after kick-starting his party's campaign for the next month's general elections by addressing a mammoth rally of more than 150,000 here, Chautala emphasised that under no circumstances will he join hands with the Congress party. He also ruled out joining other group or front saying there is no scope for emergence of a Third Front in the country at this stage.

"As of now, I have left the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and will have no ties with the BJP anywhere in the country since my party will contest all 10 Lok Sabha seats on its own in Haryana. We will also put up our candidates in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. I am attached to none and will see what to do after elections as at present I am keeping my options in this regard open," Chautala said.

The conciliatory tone, however, was missing as he criticised Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the 'Feel Good' campaign of his party saying he is anguished to note that a leader of his stature is seeking another term in office to construct a Hindu temple in Ayodhya.

"I extended him my party's support even when he was having alliance with the Haryana Vikas Party. I certainly did not extend my support to him for constructing a temple, but to build the nation," he said.

Chautala also lambasted the federal government for being anti-farmer, saying the interim budget presented by the Vajpayee government has made mobile phones and airfare cheaper, but there was nothing in it for farmers.

Chautala used the rally to display his strength and brought along two trusted allies with him. While former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, whose National Conference party had also pulled out of the NDA, praised Chautala government's performance, the Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal kept out of the rally and sent his political heir-apparent Sukhbir Singh Badal to announce his party's support to Chautala.

"Congress leader Bhajan Lal, who kept saying my government would not last for more than six months and did his best to split my party, is upset that Haryana assembly elections are not being held simultaneously with those for the Lok Sabha. I intend to use the next one year of my rule to pitchfork Haryana as the country's number one state. The BJP may be hiding behind the feel good slogan, but if there is feel good factor anywhere in the country, it is in Haryana," he said amidst thunderous applaud from a captive crowd who had come attired in colourful traditional dressed from all over the northern state.