Former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party has the backing of at least six out of the 10 MLAs of the Jannayak Janta Party, The Times of India reported.
The statement came after Jannayak Janta Party leader Dushyant Chautala on Thursday wrote to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking a floor test in the Assembly. He claimed the BJP-led government in the state no longer had a majority.
Chautala said his party did not support the current government headed by Chief Minister Nayab Saini and was open to supporting any party except for the BJP.
He wrote to the governor a day after three independent legislators – Dadri MLA Sombir Sangwan, Pundri MLA Randhir Singh Gollen and Nilokheri MLA Dharampal Gonder – withdrew support to the state government and said they would back the Congress instead.
On Sunday, Khattar said: “I believe that six JJP [Jannayak Janta Party] MLAs are with us.”
The former chief minister, while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in Karnal district, also alleged that the Congress was not sure whether they had all their MLAs onboard, PTI reported.
“It would have been better had they [Opposition] not raised the issue,” Khattar said. “Now, when they have raised it, we are saying let them parade their MLAs [to prove whether they have the numbers on their side].”
Khattar added: “And if they have the numbers, then a floor test will also be held.” However, he added that the Congress is scared that its MLAs will not come for a floor test.
The former chief minister is the BJP’s candidate from Karnal.
On the other hand, Jannayak Janta Party chief Ajay Singh Chautala on Sunday said that his party had already stated it was ready to support the Congress to topple the state government.
In response to the BJP’s allegations that a majority of the Jannayak Janta Party MLAs were not with the party, he said that the legislators “cannot go outside the party whip”.
“If they violate the whip then they will lose their [Assembly] membership,” said Ajay Singh Chautala.
Haryana has a 90-member Assembly, which is working at a capacity of 88 currently as Khattar and independent MLA Ranjit Chautala have resigned from their membership.
As per the current strength, the majority mark in the Assembly is 45. However, the Saini-led government currently has only 43 members after the three independents withdrew their support. The BJP has 40 MLAs and has support from two independents as well as Haryana Lokhit Party MLA Gopal Kanda.
The Congress has 30 MLAs in the Haryana Assembly and support from three independents. The Jannayak Janta Party has 10 members in the House.
The political crisis in the state comes weeks before voting for the Lok Sabha election in Haryana, which is slated for May 25.
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