Kuldeep Bishnoi meets Amit Shah; alliance persists: HJC

 A day after it put into question the fate of its alliance with BJP, HJC today said the tie-up between the two parties in the state continues after its supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi had a "positive" meeting with the saffron party chief Amit Shah in New Delhi. "The core committee meeting of the HJC to take a final call on continuation of coalition with the saffron party which was scheduled for today has been cancelled as party chief Bishnoi today met the BJP President Amit Shah in a positive environment in the national capital," Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) spokesman Devi Lal said.

Bishnoi had yesterday said that his party would take a final call on continuation of alliance if he was not invited to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's function at Kaithal. The BJP had maintained that it was a government function. Stating that the outcome of the meeting between Bishnoi and Shah was positive, he said, "In a day or so some positive outcome is expected (on the issue of alliance)...As of now our alliance is there with the BJP."

He, however, refused to divulge as to what was discussed between Bishnoi and Shah. As per an agreement between the two parties in 2011, both are to share 45 seats each in the Assembly polls and Bishnoi to be chief ministerial candidate for 30 months. However, after its performance in the Lok Sabha elections, BJP has demanded HJC to concede to twenty seats than the agreed 45 seats each and the post of chief minister in case of the alliance wins the elections. The saffron party won seven of the eight Lok Sabha seats it contested and HJC lost both the seats it contested.