Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NEWDELHI1789
2009-08-26 14:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
BJP MELTDOWN, HARYANA RAMIFICATIONS
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UNCLAS NEW DELHI 001789
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, DRL, DS/IP/SCA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR ASEC IN
SUBJECT: BJP MELTDOWN, HARYANA RAMIFICATIONS
REF: A. NEW DELHI 1769
B. NEW DELHI 1747
C. NEW DELHI 880
UNCLAS NEW DELHI 001789
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, DRL, DS/IP/SCA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR ASEC IN
SUBJECT: BJP MELTDOWN, HARYANA RAMIFICATIONS
REF: A. NEW DELHI 1769
B. NEW DELHI 1747
C. NEW DELHI 880
1. (U) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has parted ways with
its occasional ally, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in
Haryana, electing to fight the upcoming state assembly
elections on its own. INLD leader and former Haryana Chief
Minister Om Prakash Chautala termed the decision
"unilateralism" and downplayed the development, claiming that
the BJP and INLD were still friends. While the alliance
theoretically serves both parties by pooling INLD's rural
base with the BJP's urban appeal, it faltered miserably in
the 2009 parliamentary elections, failing to get a single
seat in the state.
When The Cats Are Away, The State Leadership Will Play
--------------
2. (SBU) Ostensibly, the BJP's decision to part ways with the
INLD stemmed from a disagreement over distribution of
assembly seats between the two parties. However, it no
secret that BJP rank and file in Haryana were loathe to
accept the corruption-riddled INLD as a partner in the 2009
parliamentary elections. Central BJP had leadership
pressured the BJP,s Haryana cadre to accept an alliance with
the INLD, despite allegations of inept governance and the
Chautala family,s reputation for corruption and strong-arm
electioneering tactics. With the national BJP in steady
meltdown mode and leadership chaos (Ref B),the BJP,s
Haryana unit felt empowered to have its way on this matter.
A senior BJP leader told Poloff that the INLD was so
discredited in the state that there was no value, but many
pitfalls for the BJP in continuing the alliance. He said
that one of the problems for the BJP in Haryana is that it
has been unable to groom a state leader with sufficient
stature and appeal to lead a campaign.
Comment: More Flux, More Opportunities For Anti-Congress
Consolidation?
---
3. (SBU) At first glance, the BJP-INLD divorce will split
the anti-Congress, anti-incumbency vote in Haryana, giving
the Congress an edge in the October 2009 assembly elections.
However, with the INLD and BJP parting ways, Haryana is ripe
for a number of new political permutations; some could hurt
the Congress. Mayawati,s Bahujan Samaj Party and Bhajan
Lal,s Janhit Congress alliances command 25 percent of the
vote in Haryana. With the INLD,s historical 15 percent
share splitting from the BJP,s 12 percent share, the field
of political free agents willing to team up against the
Congress just got wider.
ROEMER
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, DRL, DS/IP/SCA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR ASEC IN
SUBJECT: BJP MELTDOWN, HARYANA RAMIFICATIONS
REF: A. NEW DELHI 1769
B. NEW DELHI 1747
C. NEW DELHI 880
1. (U) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has parted ways with
its occasional ally, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in
Haryana, electing to fight the upcoming state assembly
elections on its own. INLD leader and former Haryana Chief
Minister Om Prakash Chautala termed the decision
"unilateralism" and downplayed the development, claiming that
the BJP and INLD were still friends. While the alliance
theoretically serves both parties by pooling INLD's rural
base with the BJP's urban appeal, it faltered miserably in
the 2009 parliamentary elections, failing to get a single
seat in the state.
When The Cats Are Away, The State Leadership Will Play
--------------
2. (SBU) Ostensibly, the BJP's decision to part ways with the
INLD stemmed from a disagreement over distribution of
assembly seats between the two parties. However, it no
secret that BJP rank and file in Haryana were loathe to
accept the corruption-riddled INLD as a partner in the 2009
parliamentary elections. Central BJP had leadership
pressured the BJP,s Haryana cadre to accept an alliance with
the INLD, despite allegations of inept governance and the
Chautala family,s reputation for corruption and strong-arm
electioneering tactics. With the national BJP in steady
meltdown mode and leadership chaos (Ref B),the BJP,s
Haryana unit felt empowered to have its way on this matter.
A senior BJP leader told Poloff that the INLD was so
discredited in the state that there was no value, but many
pitfalls for the BJP in continuing the alliance. He said
that one of the problems for the BJP in Haryana is that it
has been unable to groom a state leader with sufficient
stature and appeal to lead a campaign.
Comment: More Flux, More Opportunities For Anti-Congress
Consolidation?
---
3. (SBU) At first glance, the BJP-INLD divorce will split
the anti-Congress, anti-incumbency vote in Haryana, giving
the Congress an edge in the October 2009 assembly elections.
However, with the INLD and BJP parting ways, Haryana is ripe
for a number of new political permutations; some could hurt
the Congress. Mayawati,s Bahujan Samaj Party and Bhajan
Lal,s Janhit Congress alliances command 25 percent of the
vote in Haryana. With the INLD,s historical 15 percent
share splitting from the BJP,s 12 percent share, the field
of political free agents willing to team up against the
Congress just got wider.
ROEMER