With just over a fortnight remaining for the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana, three Independent MLAs have withdrawn their support to the BJP government in the state and have extended their "outside" support to the Congress .
This development leaves the BJP, with 40 MLAs , in a tentative position in the Assembly . With the House's strength reduced to 88, the majority mark stands at 45. Technically, the BJP government now claims the support of 43 MLAs, although it was asserted on Tuesday that four Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) MLAs might offer "tactical assistance to the government if needed," potentially raising its strength to 47.
The three Independent MLAs who switched sides on Tuesday — Dharampal Gondher (Nilokheri), Randhir Golan (Pundri), and Sombir Sangwan (Dadri) – announced their decision in the presence of former Congress chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Rohtak.
Following the announcement, Hooda stated: “This government should resign keeping in view the sentiments of the public. President’s rule should be imposed in the state.”
Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan demanded that the Assembly elections in the state, due at the end of this year, be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls on May 25. “Saini has no right to stay in government for even a moment.”
CM Saini accused the Congress of engineering the turn of events. “Some MLAs have some ambitions. These days, the Congress is apparently fulfilling desires (of such people). People understand this. They also know who has what ambitions. The Congress has nothing to do with the needs of the people. They care only about their ambitions,” he said.
While the total strength of the House is 90, it currently stands at 88 as two MLAs resigned earlier to contest the Lok Sabha polls, both on BJP tickets. Former BJP CM Manohar Lal Khattar is the candidate from the Karnal Lok Sabha seat, while Ranjit Singh Chautala, previously an Independent MLA, is contesting on the BJP ticket from Hisar.
Two months ago, the BJP severed ties with the JJP of Dushyant Chautala, whose 10 MLAs had helped it form the government in 2019. Of the JJP’s 10 MLAs, at least six have distanced themselves from Chautala.
The Congress holds 30 MLAs in the House. The support of the three Independents takes its tally to 33.
Rejecting the Congress’s claims of the BJP government losing its majority, Saini’s media secretary Praveen Attrey told The Indian Express that apart from the BJP’s own 40 MLAs, the party had the support of two Independent MLAs, Nayan Pal Rawat and Rakesh Daultabad; Gopal Kanda of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP); and four JJP MLAs, Devender Singh Babli, Ram Kumar Gautam, Jogi Ram Sihag, and Ram Niwas Surjakhera.
“The BJP government thus has the support of 47 MLAs against the simple majority mark of 45,” Attrey added.
Golan, one of the Independents who moved from the BJP to the Congress, remarked: “We kept supporting the BJP government honestly over the past four-and-a-half years. But today, inflation and unemployment have touched new heights, while farmers, laborers, traders, employees… everyone… is upset because of the concept of family ID and property ID.” The IDs were launched by the Khattar government as one card for families to access government benefits.
Golan emphasized that their decision shouldn't be viewed as "opportunism" but as "a reflection of the public’s voice".
He also highlighted that Sangwan, among the Independents who switched sides on Tuesday, had previously withdrawn support to the then BJP-JJP government during the farmer protests of 2020-21.
“All of us opposed the government in the Vidhan Sabha at that time (farmer agitation). While we supported the good things of the government, we raised our voice on other issues in the Vidhan Sabha,” Golan said, denying any “pressure” and underlining that they were “Independent”.
Sangwan, who also discussed his opposition to the Khattar government during the farmer protests, claimed that one more MLA was expected to join them but could not due to some reasons.
Gondher, the third Independent now aligned with the Congress, stated that Golan, Sangwan, he, and another Independent MLA, Nayan Pal Rawat, had decided to support the BJP government as long as Khattar was the CM, indicating that the party’s sudden replacement of Khattar with Saini did not sit well with them. “When our Senapati (Khattar) went away, it hurt us.”
Commending the decision of the three MLAs, Hooda remarked that it demonstrated that people had lost confidence in the current regime. “They have taken the right decision at the right time… People have made up their mind to vote in a Congress government in the state.”
This development leaves the BJP, with 40 MLAs , in a tentative position in the Assembly . With the House's strength reduced to 88, the majority mark stands at 45. Technically, the BJP government now claims the support of 43 MLAs, although it was asserted on Tuesday that four Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) MLAs might offer "tactical assistance to the government if needed," potentially raising its strength to 47.
The three Independent MLAs who switched sides on Tuesday — Dharampal Gondher (Nilokheri), Randhir Golan (Pundri), and Sombir Sangwan (Dadri) – announced their decision in the presence of former Congress chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Rohtak.
Following the announcement, Hooda stated: “This government should resign keeping in view the sentiments of the public. President’s rule should be imposed in the state.”
Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan demanded that the Assembly elections in the state, due at the end of this year, be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls on May 25. “Saini has no right to stay in government for even a moment.”
CM Saini accused the Congress of engineering the turn of events. “Some MLAs have some ambitions. These days, the Congress is apparently fulfilling desires (of such people). People understand this. They also know who has what ambitions. The Congress has nothing to do with the needs of the people. They care only about their ambitions,” he said.
While the total strength of the House is 90, it currently stands at 88 as two MLAs resigned earlier to contest the Lok Sabha polls, both on BJP tickets. Former BJP CM Manohar Lal Khattar is the candidate from the Karnal Lok Sabha seat, while Ranjit Singh Chautala, previously an Independent MLA, is contesting on the BJP ticket from Hisar.
Two months ago, the BJP severed ties with the JJP of Dushyant Chautala, whose 10 MLAs had helped it form the government in 2019. Of the JJP’s 10 MLAs, at least six have distanced themselves from Chautala.
The Congress holds 30 MLAs in the House. The support of the three Independents takes its tally to 33.
Rejecting the Congress’s claims of the BJP government losing its majority, Saini’s media secretary Praveen Attrey told The Indian Express that apart from the BJP’s own 40 MLAs, the party had the support of two Independent MLAs, Nayan Pal Rawat and Rakesh Daultabad; Gopal Kanda of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP); and four JJP MLAs, Devender Singh Babli, Ram Kumar Gautam, Jogi Ram Sihag, and Ram Niwas Surjakhera.
“The BJP government thus has the support of 47 MLAs against the simple majority mark of 45,” Attrey added.
Golan, one of the Independents who moved from the BJP to the Congress, remarked: “We kept supporting the BJP government honestly over the past four-and-a-half years. But today, inflation and unemployment have touched new heights, while farmers, laborers, traders, employees… everyone… is upset because of the concept of family ID and property ID.” The IDs were launched by the Khattar government as one card for families to access government benefits.
Golan emphasized that their decision shouldn't be viewed as "opportunism" but as "a reflection of the public’s voice".
He also highlighted that Sangwan, among the Independents who switched sides on Tuesday, had previously withdrawn support to the then BJP-JJP government during the farmer protests of 2020-21.
“All of us opposed the government in the Vidhan Sabha at that time (farmer agitation). While we supported the good things of the government, we raised our voice on other issues in the Vidhan Sabha,” Golan said, denying any “pressure” and underlining that they were “Independent”.
Sangwan, who also discussed his opposition to the Khattar government during the farmer protests, claimed that one more MLA was expected to join them but could not due to some reasons.
Gondher, the third Independent now aligned with the Congress, stated that Golan, Sangwan, he, and another Independent MLA, Nayan Pal Rawat, had decided to support the BJP government as long as Khattar was the CM, indicating that the party’s sudden replacement of Khattar with Saini did not sit well with them. “When our Senapati (Khattar) went away, it hurt us.”
Commending the decision of the three MLAs, Hooda remarked that it demonstrated that people had lost confidence in the current regime. “They have taken the right decision at the right time… People have made up their mind to vote in a Congress government in the state.”
