In the middle of the Lok Sabha election, dramatic developments have reduced the BJP-led state government to a minority in Haryana Assembly.
· The Congress is now racing against time to make the most of the situation and cobble together the numbers required to topple the Nayab Singh Saini government months before state polls.
· Behind the crisis is the decision of three Independent MLAs to switch from the BJP camp to the Congress side last evening.
· Adding a twist to the Haryana political upheaval, the BJP’s former ally Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) has offered support to the Congress.
· JJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala has said the government has lost the trust of the people.
· The BJP government’s immediate collapse seems improbable, with 40 MLAs, the BJP maintains a numerical advantage over the Congress, which boasts 30 seats.
Amidst escalating political tension in Haryana, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala issued a stark warning on Wednesday, asserting that the party would throw its weight behind a potential no-confidence motion against the Nayab Singh Saini-led government. The declaration comes in the wake of the BJP government losing its majority following the withdrawal of support by three independent MLAs.
Addressing the media, Chautala articulated the party’s stance, stating unequivocally that should a no-confidence motion be tabled by the Leader of the Opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the JJP would stand in opposition to the incumbent government. Moreover, he underscored the party’s willingness to provide external support to expedite the government’s downfall, placing the onus on the Congress to initiate action against the BJP administration.
Chautala clarified that while the JJP would extend support from the periphery, its MLAs would adhere strictly to the directives of the party whip. Emphasizing their resolve, he affirmed that if a floor test were conducted imminently, JJP legislators would align themselves with efforts to unseat the government.
Notably, the JJP, an offshoot of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), commands 10 seats in the 90-seat Haryana assembly. The party forged an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in October 2019 to establish a coalition government, a partnership that dissolved in March of the current year.
The political landscape was further destabilized by the withdrawal of support from three independent MLAs, who had hitherto aligned with the BJP, now pledging their allegiance to the Congress. Expressing their rationale, the independent lawmakers cited mounting unemployment and inflation as key factors precipitating their withdrawal of support from the BJP-led government.
In the words of Independent MLA Randhir Golan, “For the last 4.5 years, we extended support to the BJP. Today unemployment and inflation are at their highest. Looking at this, we have withdrawn our support from the government.”
Meanwhile, Independent MLA Dharam Pal Gondher elucidated, “At the time when they needed our support to form the government we were called again & again… We had decided that till the time Manohar Lal Khattar was in power, we would support. We are sad that he is no more in power… In the interest of the farmers, we withdraw the support from the government.”
Despite being reduced to a minority in terms of assembly strength, the BJP government’s immediate collapse seems improbable. With 40 MLAs, the BJP maintains a numerical advantage over the Congress, which boasts 30 seats, and the JJP’s 10. Furthermore, the stipulated gap of six months between two-floor tests precludes the Opposition from introducing a no-confidence motion until September 2024, a timeline that ostensibly safeguards the BJP government until the forthcoming assembly elections slated for October-November this year. Thus, while the specter of political upheaval looms large, the current administration appears poised to weather the storm for the time being.
(With inputs from agencies)
