CHANDIGARH (TIP): Snapping a three-year-old alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Kuldeep Bishnoi-led Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) on Aug 28 joined hands with former Congress MLA Venod Sharma’s Haryana Jan Chetna Party (HJCP) for the upcoming assembly elections in Haryana.

Bishnoi and Sharma jointly made this announcement while interacting with mediapersons here. Hitting out at the BJP, Bishnoi said: “BJP ka to ye culture hi raha hai jhooth bolna aur dhokha dena. Jo Vajpayee, Advani aur Murli Manohar Joshi (top BJP leaders) ke nahi huye, Charan Singh, Devi Lal, Bansi Lal aur Om Prakash Chautala ke nahi huye, vo hamare kaise honge (it’s been the BJP’s culture to betray and tell lies).” “Aur kyonki hamein yeh pata tha ke yeh ab hamein dhokha denge, hamne likhit samjhota kiya, par inhon ne phir hamein dhokha diya (Since we knew that the BJP would betray us, we went in for a written agreement, but the BJP still betrayed us).” Claiming that it was unprecedented in Indian politics that a written agreement was made for an alliance, Bishnoi said the BJP again showed its true colours.

“BJP dhokhebaz hai aur iska ghamand saatwein aasmaan pe chadh gaya hai, aur ghamand to Ravana ka bhi tuta tha (The BJP is treacherous and its arrogance has gone skyhigh. But even the arrogant Ravana was humbled).” Bishnoi claimed that though the HJC went the extra mile to maintain the alliance, the BJP cheated it at every step. “Inhone har pal, har kadam par mera gala ghotna chaha, aur hum sahan karte rahe, par ab pani sar se upar chala gaya hai (The BJP tried to stifle us, and we kept tolerating them. But now all limits have been crossed).” He, however, avoided naming BJP leaders who were opposed to the alliance. Replying to a question on a likely alliance with former minister Gopal Kanda’s Haryana Lokhit Party, he said he could not comment on it at present.

Regarding the new alliance’s manifesto and seatsharing, Bishnoi said it would be worked out in the days to come. Meanwhile, former Ambala MLA Venod Sharma, who also addressed mediapersons on the occasion, said Haryana would now witness an HJC-HJCP wave as the BJP did not even have candidates for all 90 seats. He said the alliance, if voted to power, would abolish the interview system in government jobs and the practice of re-employment of retired employees. “The HJCP would release its own manifesto during its rally at Ambala on August 31, though the alliance would have a common manifesto too,” Sharma said.