Haryana: JJP offers support to Congress to oust BJP government

A day after three independent MLAs withdrew their support from the ruling BJP, and extended their support to the Congress, the BJP's former ally Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) said it is ready to help the Congress bring down the BJP government in Haryana.

Claiming that the BJP government has been reduced to a minority, the Congress, on its part, demanded the imposition of President's rule and early Assembly elections in the state.

However, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini asserted that his government is not in any trouble. His predecessor and party colleague M.L. Khattar also claimed that many MLAs are in touch with the BJP and there is "nothing to worry ".

Independent MLAs Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri) withdrew support to the ruling BJP in Haryana on Tuesday and announced that they would back the Congress. The independent MLAs  have announced their support in the presence of former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Rohtak.

The fast-paced political developments in the state come at a time when Lok Sabha polls are just a fortnight away and Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in October.

Speaking to reporters in Hisar, the JJP leader Dushyant Chautala said if a no-confidence motion is brought in the Assembly, they will vote against the Saini government.

"I want to tell Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda that going by the present numbers in the Assembly, when this government is in a minority, if a step is taken that this government is brought down during (Lok Sabha) elections, then we will fully consider to support them in this from outside".

"Now, the Congress has to think whether they will take a step to bring down the BJP government," Chautala said. Reacting to this, Congress leader Hooda said, "They should write to the Governor (that government is in a minority)".

Dushyant Chautala also ruled out reviving his party's alliance with the BJP. The two parties had snapped ties in March. "I have made it quite clear that JJP will not go with BJP now," Chautala said and demanded that Saini should either prove majority or submit his resignation.

The 90-member Haryana assembly at present has an effective strength of 88 with Karnal and Rania assembly seats being vacant. The BJP has 40 MLAs, the Congress 30 and the JJP 10 in the House. INLD and Haryana Lokhit Party has one member. Independents are six.

The government has the support of two of the Independent legislators. Independent MLA Nayan Pal Rawat said he had given unconditional support to the BJP in 2019 and it is continuing even now.

"The government is not in any trouble, it is working strongly," Chief Minister Saini told reporters at Sirsa while replying to queries on the withdrawal of support.

However, Hooda said the Saini government is in a minority and it has no moral right to stay in power. INLD's lone MLA Abhay Singh Chautala said that either the government should prove it has a majority or else "Governor's rule should be imposed".

Former chief minister Khattar downplayed the developments."During election season, who is going where is not going to have much impact. Many MLAs are in touch with us also, so no one should worry about this," he told reporters in Karnal.

Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan said the party will write to the governor stating that the Saini government is in a minority and that it should be dismissed, the President's Rule imposed in the state and fresh polls announced.

The opposition party also asked the JJP, the INLD and Independent MLA Balraj Kundu to write similar letters to the governor to give credence to their claim of opposing the BJP.

Asked about some JJP MLAs indicating support to the BJP after his party pulled out of the coalition government in March, Dushyant Chautala said notices have been issued to three of them and they have been asked to submit a reply.

He said his party MLAs are bound by whip and if anyone wants to extend support against the party line they will have to resign first. JJP MLAs Jogi Ram Sihag and Ram Niwas Surjakhera have extended support to the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. JJP's Devender Babli has also called a meeting of his supporters in Tohana on May 11 to decide on the future course of action. Sources said another JJP MLA Ram Karan Kala is also contemplating similar action.

Saini had replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister in March and the JJP's four-and-a-half-year-old post-poll alliance with BJP had come to an end.

State Assembly polls in Haryana are due in October while the Karnal Assembly bypoll is scheduled for May 25 along with voting to the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana. Saini, the MP from Kurukshetra in the outgoing Lok Sabha, is the BJP candidate for the bypolls and if he wins, the party's strength in the Assembly will rise to 41.