Haryana BJP chief on ally JJP: No decision yet on fighting polls together

Chandigarh, Oct 27 (PTI) Outgoing Haryana BJP president O P Dhankar said on Friday no decision has been taken yet on fighting next year's elections together with current ally JJP, as both parties have remained non-committal on contesting elections jointly.

"When any decision is taken, you will be informed," Dhankar told reporters.

On being asked how many seats the BJP expects to win in the 2024 Assembly polls, he said, "We will form the government with full majority. When elections draw near, we will inform you about the number of seats too," he said.

Dhankar was interacting with reporters in Chandigarh shortly before the party high command appointed him the national secretary and brought in Nayab Singh Saini as the state unit chief.

Dhankar was appointed Haryana BJP chief in July 2020 and completed his tenure in July this year.

The Ajay Singh Chautala-led Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) had extended support to the BJP in 2019 after it fell short of a majority in the Assembly polls.

However, in recent months, both the JJP and the BJP have said they are preparing to contest all the 10 Lok Sabha and 90 Assembly seats and have remained non-committal on fighting the elections jointly.

The BJP on Friday appointed Lok Sabha MP from Kurukshetra Nayab Singh Saini, belonging to other backward classes (OBCs), the state unit president in place of Om Prakash Dhankar as the party prepares for the Lok Sabha elections next year to be followed by the Assembly polls.

Replying to another question that the JJP has also entered fray in neighbouring Rajasthan and was contesting the Assembly elections there on a few seats, Dhankar said every party has a right to expand. When asked if the party has conducted any internal survey for the next year's Assembly elections, Dhankar said surveys these days keep taking place both at the organisation and the government level.

However, he said the outcome of these surveys are not made public. PTI SUN MNK MNK MNK