Haryana: 4 JJP MLAs meet top BJP leaders amid party chief Dushyant Singh Chautala’s call for no-confidence motion
Panipat (Haryana): Amid Dushyant Singh Chautala’s call for a floor test against the Bhartiya Janata Party government in Haryana, four MLAs of his Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) have met the former BJP Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar this afternoon, media reports said.
“Three Independent MLAs, who were supporting the BJP, have withdrawn their support and have written to the Governor. JJP has clearly said that if a No Confidence Motion is brought against this Government, we will support the Motion.
#WATCH | Panipat | JJP MLAs arrive at the residence of Haryana minister and BJP leader Mahipal Dhanda to meet former CM Manohar Lal Khattar pic.twitter.com/vjEVfrJR4V
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024
“We have also written to the Governor about it...Now, Congress has to take this step (seeking a Floor Test)...The Governor has the power to order a Floor Test to see if the Government has the strength and if it doesn't have the majority immediately implement President's Rule in the state," Chautala told news agency ANI.
However, as Chautala readies to bring a no-confidence motion against the Nayab Singh Saini government in Haryana, the news of his party MLAs meeting BJP leadership in the state emerged, reported NDTV
According to media reports, the JJP MLAs held a meeting at the house of Minister of State Mahipal Dhanda in Panipat around 2 pm. The meeting extended for half an hour with Khattar and Dhanda, according to the report.
The report said, citing sources that the leaders had deliberated on the current political crisis.
The BJP-led coalition in Haryana is teetering on the brink of minority, Chautala has written to the state’s Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and sought a floor test in the Assembly.
"I urge you to direct the appropriate authority to immediately call for a floor test to determine a majority of government," Chautala wrote in his letter to the Governor of Haryana Bandaru Dattatreya, reported NDTV.
The political crisis in Haryana arose after three MLAs withdrew their support from the government on Tuesday and made the announcement in a press conference in Rohtak, said media reports.
Sombir Sangwan (representing Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (from Pundri), and Dharampal Gonder (of Nilokheri) stated they wanted to leave the BJP administration in the presence of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, and Udai Bhan, the state Congress chief.
The political equation
The Haryana Assembly has 90 seats with 88 members currently filling the seats. The majority mark is at 45. BJP has 40 MLAs and has the support of three out of the six independent MLAs, implying that it is short of two MLAs away from the majority.
The Congress party has only 30 MLAs and is likely to increase its numbers by three independent candidates. If the JJP also backs the Congress, its tally would increase to 43 MLAs.
In the current scenario, there are two unaligned MLAs—one representing the Haryana Lokhit Party and the other from the INLD.