Amid the Lok Sabha elections, the ruling BJP government in Haryana has suffered a significant setback. On Tuesday, three independent MLAs announced that they have withdrawn their support from the government led by Nayab Singh Saini in the state.
The three MLAs, Somveer Sangwan, Randhir Gollen, and Dharampal Gonder, also stated that they have decided to support the Congress during the election.
The announcement was made at a press conference held in Rohtak in the presence of Haryana's former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress chief Udai Bhan. Independent MLA Gonder said, "We are withdrawing our support from the government. We are giving our support to Congress. We have made this decision based on various issues, including those related to farmers."
Speaking at the press conference, state Congress chief Udai Bhan said, "Three independent MLAs - Somveer Sangwan, Randhir Singh Gollen, and Dharampal Gonder have withdrawn their support from the BJP government and have given their support to Congress. I also want to point out that the current strength of the Haryana assembly, which has 90 members, is now 88, of which BJP has 40 members. Initially, the BJP government had the support of JJP MLAs and independent MLAs, but JJP had also withdrawn their support, and now the independents are also withdrawing theirs."
State Congress Chief Udai Bhan also said, "Nayab Singh Saini's government is now a minority government. Saini should resign immediately as he has no right to stay in office for even a minute. Assembly elections should be held immediately."
Bhupinder Singh Hooda, demanding President's Rule in Haryana, claimed that the BJP government has fallen below the magical number.
Haryana has a total of 90 assembly seats. The magic number here is 46, meaning any party needs at least 46 MLAs to form the government.
However, currently, two seats in the state are vacant, thus the magic number is reduced to 45. Speaking of the current number game, the BJP appears to be short of a majority.
Understanding this requires attention to the numbers. BJP has 40 of its own MLAs. Additionally, the support from 2 independent MLAs and 1 MLA from the Haryana Lokhit Party (Gopal Kanda) is also with the BJP. This means the BJP government currently has the support of 43 MLAs.
On the other hand, if we consider the Congress and other parties' MLAs, Congress has 30 MLAs, while 3 independent MLAs have also announced their support. Additionally, the JJP has 10 MLAs and there is one MLA from INLD. There is also one more independent MLA remaining, who sources say might also support Congress. Congress claims that the BJP government is currently in the minority.
