Haryana Political Crisis: 3 Ind MLAs withdraw support reducing BJP government to below majority ahead of Lok Sabha elections

In a major twist, three of the five Independent MLAs supporting the BJP government in Haryana, have withdrawn their support on Tuesday evening, reducing the Nayab Singh Saini government lose majority in the state assembly. The three Independent MLAs have decided to support the Congress, Saini however claims there is no threat to his government. Things had become critical for the BJP since the exit of Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) of Dushyant Chautala from the coalition about two months back.

How Number Stack Up

Haryana Assembly has 90 MLAs

The half-way mark is 45

BJP has 40 MLAs on its own. In 2019 JJP’s 10 MLAs had supported BJP to form the government along with 5 Independent MLAs.

Two Independent MLAs- Nayan pal Rawat and Rakesh Daulatabad are still with Saini and along with one Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) MLA Gopal Kanda, BJP’s strength becomes 43, which is two short of half way mark.

BJP snapped ties with JJP in 2024. Out of 10 JJP MLAs, at least 6 have distanced themselves from Dushyant Chautala. But they are yet to affirm the support to CM Saini as yet.

The Congress has 30 MLAs in the House. The support of the three Independents takes its tally to 33.
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Rejecting the claims, BJP Saini government has maintained that they have the support of 47 MLAs. The three Independent MLAs— Dharampal Gondher (Nilokheri), Randhir Golan (Pundri) and Sombir Sangwan (Dadri) – announced their decision to give outside support to Congress in the presence of former Congress chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Rohtak on Tuesday. This comes almost a fortnight before Haryana goes to polling for the Lok Sabha election 2024.

 “Some MLAs have some ambitions. These days, the Congress is apparently fulfilling desires (of such people). 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,” Chief Minister Saini said, squarely holding Congress responsible as he called the crisis engineered by Congress.

While the total strength of the House is 90, currently it is 88 as two MLAs resigned to contest the Lok Sabha polls, on BJP tickets including former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Independent Ranjit Singh Chautala. Since the house strength currently is 88, BJP thus needs 45 MLAs to claim the majority.