Delhi Assembly Elections: JJP's Dushyant Chautala backs out of poll offer

Jan Janayak Party chief Dushyant Chautala, whose party helped the BJP to just about retain power in Haryana after October's Assembly elections, has become the second ally of the party to back out of elections in Delhi next month. Addressing a press conference this evening Mr Chautala confirmed his party would not field candidates "since symbol is a very important issue" and the JJP was unwilling to fight "on a new symbol at such short notice".

Mr Chautala's comment comes less than 24 hours after another BJP ally - the Shiromani Akali Dal - said disagreements over seat-sharing; meant they would not contest Delhi polls either. The Akalis had indicated election symbols played a role in their decision as well. They also said their refusal to accept the citizenship law, in its present form, and the NRC was a factor in the decision.

"We won't field candidates in Delhi polls, since symbol is a very important issue. We had requested Election Commission to give key or slippers as symbol... these were given to another organisation. In such a situation, JJP has decided not to contest," a tweet by the JJP said.

On the controversial citizenship law the JJP said "whosoever has read the new law" would not believe citizenship was being taken away from any individual - a stand repeated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a pro-CAA rally in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow today.

Late last night the Shiromani Akali Dal cited "core principles" regarding the citizenship law and the NRC that it could not compromise.

"Our stand is clear... the nation can't be divided over religion. We will prefer not contesting polls rather than changing our stand. NRC should also not be introduced... the nation belongs to all," Delhi SAD chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa said.