As the BJP government in Haryana is facing questions on its majority in the state assembly after three independent MLAs withdrew support to the regime, opposition Congress on Wednesday demanded that the government be dismissed, President’s rule be imposed, and assembly polls be held.
While Congress is yet to signal any move to bring a no-confidence motion, its regional rival and estranged BJP ally Jannayak Janata Party (JPP) leader Dushyant Chautala said his party will support it if Congress brings a no-confidence motion but didn’t elaborate why JPP is not bringing its own motion.
“The BJP government in Haryana has lost its majority after the withdrawal of support by some independent MLAs who have now extended their support to Congress. Since the state government has been reduced to a minority, it should be immediately sacked and President’s rule be imposed in the state. The assembly elections should also be held immediately,” Bhupinder Singh Hooda, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, told ET.
Asked about chief minister Nayab Singh Saini still claiming majority support, Hooda said, “The chief minister knows very well that his government is now in minority. The governor should advise him to tender his resignation. If the CM still insists his government has the majority, the Raj Bhavan should ask the CM to parade the supporting MLAs to show what he is claiming.”
On whether Congress will move a no-trust motion, Hooda merely said it can be decided when the next assembly session will be convened.
Amid the intensifying political battle and claims and counter claims, the focus is on the number game in the 90-member Haryana assembly whose current effective strength is 88. While BJP has 40 MLAs, Congress has 30 and JJP has 10. With the support of the two independent MLAs, the strength of the BJP-led government is now at 42, which technically marks a shortage of 3 from the majority mark of 45. What will be crucial is whether the opposition parties, especially JJP, will hold on to their MLAs amid BJP’s all-out bid to find ways to make up for the loss .
The state government had overcome a Congress no-confidence motion in February. Some experts said the opposition party can propose another such motion only after a gap of six months. Some others argued that since there was a change of the chief minister after the last no-confidence motion, it is technically a new government which has not faced any no-confidence motion so far.
There is also a political question of whether the opposition should go all-out to eject a government which is at the fag end of its tenure and thus shift the focus away from incumbency issues.
