Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini.
Chandigarh: Three independent MLAs in Haryana, where Lok Sabha elections were just over a fortnight ago, withdrew their support to the ruling BJP and gave it to Congress on Tuesday, The Indian Express reported.
In the 90-membered Haryana assembly, 45 is the majority mark, but losing the support of the three independent, ruling BJP’s strength reached 43. However, BJP claimed on Tuesday that four Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) MLAs will offer support, taking their strength to 47.
Congress has 30 MLAs in the state, and support of the new three makes it 33. When BJP claimed that it would have the support of four JJP MLAs, the saffron party severed ties with Dushyant Chautala’s JJP two months ago. It was ten MLAs from JJP that helped BJP to form government in Haryana in 2019.
The three MLAs who withdrew their support were Dharampal Gondher (Nilokheri), Randhir Golan (Pundri) and Sombir Sangwan (Dadri).
After the MLAs switched sides, former Congress chief minister in the state Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the current BJP government must resign, “keeping in view the sentiments of the public”, and the President’s rule must be imposed in the state.
Haryana Congress president Udau Bhan demanded Assembly elections along with the ongoing Lok Sabha elections since Assembly polls are due in the state at the end of this year.
CM Saini accused the Congress of engineering what had happened.
Meanwhile, Haryana CM Saini accused the Congress party of engineering the fresh developments.
He said that some MLAs have ambitions, and the Congress is fulfilling them for them.
“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”, TIE quoted the CM.