Jannayak Janta Party founder Ajay Chautala, who was released from Tihar jail on Sunday morning on a 14-day furlough, said he had advised his son and Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala to form an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, The Indian Express reported.

Ajay Chautala and his father – former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala – have been in prison since 2013 on charges of criminal conspiracy, corruption, and forgery after being convicted in a teachers’ recruitment scam.

“Dushyant asked me if he should go with BJP or Congress,” Ajay Chautala said after walking out of jail. “I told him, whatever the circumstances, we shall never go with Congress. I gave him the go-ahead to go with BJP. It is a matter of pride for us that he has got into an alliance with BJP. It will be beneficial for the state.” The former Indian National Lok Dal leader then attended his son’s swearing-in ceremony.

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Ajay Chautala also praised his son for establishing the 10-month-old party, which split from the Indian National Lok Dal in December 2018. “Dushyant has established the organisation in just 11 months along with the party workers,” ANI quoted him as saying. “A son is known by his father’s name only. The efforts taken by the party workers have flourished today on an auspicious occasion.”

After the results were announced on Thursday, the Congress reportedly urged the Jannayak Janta Party and Independent legislators to unite to keep the BJP out of power. However, its efforts did not take off. On Friday morning, Dushyant Chautala initially said the door was open for both the parties. However, hours later, he sealed a deal with the BJP after the saffron party agreed to implement the Jannayak Janta Party’s agenda, including 75% reservation for local youth in jobs in the state, and increase in old-age pension.

The BJP won 40 out of the 90 seats in the elections, six short of a majority in the 90-member house. The Congress won 31 seats, and the Jannayak Janta Party 10 seats.

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