3 Independents cross sides, Haryana BJP govt teeters ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Just over a fortnight to go for the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana, three Independent MLAs withdrew their support to the BJP government in the state and extended “outside” support to the Congress.

This leaves the BJP, with 40 MLAs, tentatively placed in the Assembly. With the House strength reduced to 88, the majority mark is 45. Technically, the BJP government has the support of 43 MLAs now, though it claimed on Tuesday that four Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) MLAs too may offer “tactical assistance to the government if needed”, taking its strength to 47.

The three Independent MLAs who switched sides Tuesday — Dharampal Gondher (Nilokheri), Randhir Golan (Pundri) and Sombir Sangwan (Dadri) – announced their decision in the presence of former Congress chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Rohtak.

Soon after, Hooda said: “This government should resign keeping in view the sentiments of the public. President’s rule should be imposed in the state.”

Haryana BJP president Udai Bhan demanded that the Assembly elections in the state – due at the end of this year — be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls on May 25. “Saini has no right to stay in government for even a moment.”

CM Saini accused the Congress of engineering what had happened. “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,” he said.

While the total strength of the House is 90, right now it is 88 as two MLAs resigned earlier to contest the Lok Sabha polls, both on BJP tickets. While former BJP CM Manohar Lal Khattar is the candidate from the Karnal Lok Sabha seat, Ranjit Singh Chautala, earlier an Independent MLA, is contesting on the BJP ticket from Hisar.

Two months ago, the BJP snapped ties with the JJP of Dushyant Chautala, whose 10 MLAs had helped it form the government in 2019. Of the JJP’s 10 MLAs, at least six have distanced themselves from Chautala.

The Congress has 30 MLAs in the House. The support of the three Independents takes its tally to 33. Rejecting the Congress’s claims of the BJP government losing its majority, Saini’s media secretary Praveen Attrey told The Indian Express that apart from the BJP’s own 40 MLAs, the party had the support of two Independent MLAs, Nayan Pal Rawat and Rakesh Daultabad; Gopal Kanda of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP); and four JJP MLAs, Devender Singh Babli, Ram Kumar Gautam, Jogi Ram Sihag and Ram Niwas Surjakhera.

Golan, one of the Independents who moved from the BJP to the Congress, said: “We kept supporting the BJP government honestly over the past four-and-a-half years. But today, inflation and unemployment have touched new heights, while farmers, labourers, traders, employees… everyone… is upset because of the concept of family ID and property ID.” The IDs were launched by the Khattar government as one card for families to access government benefits.

Golan said it was wrong to see their decision as “opportunism”, and said it was actually “a reflection of the public’s voice”. He also pointed out that Sangwan, among the Independents who crossed sides Tuesday, had earlier withdrawn support to the then BJP-JJP government during the farmer protests of 2020-21.

Praising the decision of the three MLAs, Hooda said it showed that people had lost confidence in the current regime. “They have taken the right decision at the right time… People have made up their mind to vote in a Congress government in the state.”