Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala quits over party's performance

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New Delhi: Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala on Thursday tendered his resignation as the party struggles to touch the majority mark in close contest with Congress in the state. 

Tohana, who is contesting from Tohana assembly seat against JJP candidate Devender Babli, is trailing with over 12,000 votes. 

The BJP, which had won 47 seats in the last Assembly polls in 2014, had been expressing confidence about raising its tally beyond 75 seats this time, which looks a far cry at the moment, in the 90-member assembly. 

At 1:32 pm, the trends available for the 90-member seats showed both BJP and Congress in a neck-to-neck contest with each party leading on 35 seats. 

The BJP, which had won 47 seats in the last Assembly polls in 2014, had been expressing confidence about raising its tally beyond 75 seats this time, which looks a far cry at the moment.

The trends indicate a shocker for the saffron party, particularly since it had won all the 10 seats in Haryana in the Lok Sabha elections held just five months back.

The BJP had formed the government in Haryana for the first time in 2014, when it improved its tally from 4 in the previous elections to 47.

The Congress, on the other hand, improved its performance substantially this time as the trends showed that it was leading in 32 seats. In the last Assembly polls, it had managed 15 seats and failed to open account in the April-May Lok Sabha elections.

The INLD, which ruled the state the last time from 2000 to 2004, stood second with 19 seats in the last Assembly elections and was the main Opposition party in the outgoing House.

JJP was formed in December last year after Dushyant Chautala, grandson of 4-time Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, split from the INLD following a bitter fight in the family.

The Congress has already begun efforts to woo JJP leader Dushyant Chautala.