Haryana panchayat polls: BJP decides to support BSP candidates

In what may add a new twist to the ongoing political crisis in Uttarakhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday decided to support the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidates in the upcoming Haridwar panchayat elections.

Uttarakhand BJP chief Ajay Bhatt told ANI that his party has decided to support the BSP candidates in the Haridwar panchayat elections.

Earlier in January, the BSP's independent candidates secured the maximum number of seats in the zila panchayat elections in Haridwar district, thereby giving a major political blow to the Congress and BJP in Uttarakhand.

While the BSP had won 16 of the 47 seats, the ruling Congress had to settle for a distant third position with 11 seats, while the BJP managed to win just three seats.