A day after three Independent MLAs withdrew support from the Nayab Saini-led BJP government in Haryana and extended support to the Congress, former deputy chief minister and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala said on Wednesday that he would “support Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda” if the latter initiates a move to topple the state government.
“The BJP is talking of winning all 10 Lok Sabha seats and one seat of Karnal bypoll. But three MLAs withdrawing support shows how weak the BJP has become. I would also like to tell Leader of Opposition that according to the mathematics of numbers today, if a step is taken to topple this government during elections, I would thoroughly consider supporting him [Hooda] from outside. It is now for Congress to think if it will take a step to topple the BJP government,” Chautala said, days before Haryana is set to vote in the Lok Sabha elections on May 25.
“Three MLAs have withdrawn support and two MLAs, including Manohar Lal Khattar (Lok Sabha candidate from Karnal) and Ranjit Singh (candidate from Hisar), have resigned from the Vidhan Sabha. This makes it five MLAs out of the Vidhan Sabha. It proves that the BJP government has failed to have a simple majority. I demand that the chief minister resign on moral grounds. The three Independents have sent their withdrawal of support to the governor. We shall also urge the governor and even send it in writing to him seeking directions to the state government to prove majority,” Chautala added.
With MLAs Dharampal Gondher (Nilokheri), Randhir Golan (Pundri) and Sombir Sangwan (Dadri) withdrawing support, the BJP, with 40 MLAs, is tentatively placed in the 88-member Assembly – the majority mark is 45.
In the 2019 Assembly polls, the JJP had won 10 seats and the BJP, 40 seats. Both parties entered into a post-poll alliance and formed a coalition government in Haryana. Two months ago, the BJP broke off ties with the JJP.
Talking about his own MLAs deserting the party, Chautala said, “The whip has lots of power. Till the whip is in place, all the party MLAs will have to vote accordingly. We have already issued notice to those who are attending other party events. There is a procedure. We have issued notice to three of our MLAs. None of the three have replied to the notices issued to them by JJP. If their reply is not found satisfactory, we shall write to the Speaker seeking their disqualification.”
In response to the BJP’s assertion that a no-confidence motion cannot be brought in the House within six months, Chautala said, “The no-confidence motion that was moved in the House was against the previous government that ended with the previous government’s tenure itself. Now, there is a new government in place. Thus, a new no-confidence motion can be moved.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 08-05-2024 at 12:14 IST
