Chautala seeks floor test after Independents withdraw support to Haryana’s Saini govt

Chandigarh: JJP leader and Former Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Thursday asked Governor Bandaru Dattatreya to order a floor test after three Independent MLAs withdrew support to the BJP government, while the Congress demanded that it should resign on moral grounds as it was now “in the minority”.

Chautala, in a letter to the Governor, sought his intervention under Article 174 as the Nayab Singh Saini government does not command a majority.

“The Nayab Saini government was formed with the support of six Independents. While three have withdrawn support, one Independent MLA resigned from the House and his resignation was accepted on April 30. The government no longer has the numbers, necessitating a floor test,” it read.

The Congress demanded the President’s rule in the state and sought time to meet the Governor on Friday.

Leader of Opposition and two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda said the government should resign on moral grounds as “it’s in the minority”.

Talking to the media in Bhiwani town, Hooda said the Congress delegation of 30 legislators would be reaching Chandigarh. He said 45 of the 88 legislators in the Assembly – 30 of the Congress, 10 of the JJP, three Independent legislators, who have switched sides to the Congress, Independent MLA from Meham, Balraj Kundu, and INLD MLA Abhey Chautala were against the government.

Two days ago, Independent MLAs Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri) withdrew support to the BJP government and announced that they would back the Congress.

However, Chief Minister Saini clarified that his government was not in any trouble. His predecessor, Manohar Lal Khattar, and colleagues claimed that many MLAs were in touch with the BJP and there was “nothing to worry about”.

The new government was formed in March after the BJP severed its four-and-a-half-year-old ties with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), led by Chautala. Saini succeeded Khattar, who was fielded from Karnal for the Lok Sabha elections.
IANS