Dushyant Chautala move to seek a floor test comes after 3 Independent MLAs withdrew support to the Nayab Saini government in Haryana. Rohtak MLA B B Batra said the Congress too would meet the governor and request a floor test.
A day after announcing that he would back the Opposition Congress against the BJP government in Haryana, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala announced on Thursday that he has written to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking a floor test in the Assembly. Congress MLA B B Batra said that they too would seek an appointment with the governor and request a floor test.
“Considering the gravity of the current circumstances and the urgent need to reinstate stability and uphold democratic norms in Haryana, I respectfully implore Your Excellency to invoke your constitutional prerogative…to direct the appropriate authority to immediately call for floor test to determine the majority of government,” former Haryana deputy chief minister Chautala said in his letter.
Chautala’s move – days ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in the state on May 25 – comes after Independent MLAs Dharampal Gondher from Nilokher, Randhir Golan from Pundri and Sombir Sangwan from Dadri withdrew support to the Nayab Saini government and wrote to the governor, announcing that they were now supporting the Congress.
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“JJP has openly declared that if a no-confidence motion is moved by the Opposition, we shall support the Opposition against the present government. It is for the Congress party to initiate a step. Also, other Opposition MLAs who want to change the BJP government, to topple the present government that has lost majority, should write to the governor. We have written to the governor seeking a floor test. The current strength of the House is 88 and the government has to reach the majority mark of 45. His Excellency the Governor has to get the floor test conducted. We shall see how many MLAs support the government or Opposition,” Chautala, a former BJP ally, said on Thursday.
Accusing the BJP of horse-trading, Chautala said, “We used to think that horse-trading has stopped but BJP has relaunched it in the state in a different manner. At the time when the whip is issued, all party MLAs have to duly follow it and vote accordingly. I would reiterate that the previous no-confidence motion was moved against the government led by Manohar Lal Khattar. It is for the governor to see if he can get the floor test conducted and to see if the present government has a majority or not. If the government fails to prove its majority on the floor of the House, President’s rule should be imposed.”
In the 88-member Haryana Assembly, BJP currently has 40 MLAs, Congress 30, and JJP 10. There are six Independents and one MLA each from the Indian National Lok Dal and the Haryana Lokhit Party. The two seats of Karnal and Rania Assembly constituencies are vacant after Manohar Lal Khattar and Ranjit Singh resigned to become the BJP’s Lok Sabha candidates from Karnal and Hisar, respectively.
In his letter to the governor, Chautala mentioned that after Saini assumed office in March 2024, the government had demonstrated its majority in the Vidhan Sabha with the support of several Independent MLAs. “Subsequently, one Independent MLA Ranjit Singh Chautala resigned and his resignation was accepted on 30th April 2024. Recent developments have unfolded with three out of the six Independent MLAs who previously extended their support to the government in March 2024, withdrawing their backing,” the letter states.
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“Given these developments and the clear stance of my party, JJP, which does not extend its support to the present government and is open to backing any other political party for government formation, it is evident that the incumbent government no longer commands a majority in the legislative assembly,” it adds.
On Wednesday, Bhupinder Singh Hooda had told The Indian Express that if Chautala writes to the governor and parades his MLAs in front of the governor, then Hooda would also send a Congress delegation led by Rohtak MLA Batra and seek a floor test for the present government.
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“We are also seeking an appointment with the governor. Whenever he gives us time, today or tomorrow or any other day, we shall also be going to the Raj Bhavan and meeting him. I shall be leading the Congress delegation and request him to direct the state government to prove its majority on the floor of the House,” Batra said on Thursday.
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