NEW DELHI: The
Haryana government
, led by Nayab Singh Saini, has been thrown into turmoil after three independent MLAs withdrew their support. This development comes just two months after the BJP ended its alliance with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), led by Dushyant Chautala. The BJP also replaced its chief minister, with Saini taking over from Manohar Lal Khattar, as the party faces challenges in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.
The power game
The Congress, which gave the BJP a tough fight in the 2019 assembly polls by winning 31 seats compared to the BJP's 40, has gained fresh momentum following the independents' threat to bring down the Nayab Saini government.
Although JJP leader Dushyant Chautala claims to have 10 MLAs, six of them have already indicated their separation from Dushyant's party. Even Dushyant may be unaware about the loyalty of his MLAs during a potential floor test. Two of them openly supported BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha polls, while at least three reportedly met Khattar and they might support the current state government.
"The opposition is doing vague calculations. During the floor test, if they can retain even 23 of their MLAs, it will be a big deal. I don't see any no-confidence motion being moved anytime soon, but if any such situation arises, we will have a floor test... Many JJP MLAs have given support to BJP. This is what I'm saying, they need to think beyond what meets the eye," said Khattar, while talking to news agency ANI.
What about the numbers
The Haryana assembly, which has 90 members, currently has a strength of 88 after an independent MLA, and former CM Khattar resigned to contest the Lok Sabha election from Karnal. The BJP has 40 MLAs, Congress 30, JJP 10, INLD 1, Gopal Kanda's Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) 1, and 7 independents. With only 43 MLAs supporting the Nayab Saini government, it has clearly become a minority.
Letters to governor
Both the Congress and JJP have sought the governor's intervention. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the leader of the opposition, has requested a meeting with the governor to present a memorandum regarding the current political situation and has called for the imposition of
President's Rule
. Dushyant Chautala, in his letter, stated that his party does not support the current government and is open to backing any other political party to form a new government. He demanded a floor test to determine the majority of the incumbent government.
INLD leader Abhay Chautala demanded imposition of the President’s Rule in the state in case BJP fails to prove its majority in the House.
A 'confident' Nayab Saini
Despite the challenges, Haryana CM Nayab Saini remains confident, citing the vote of confidence he received a month ago. He questioned Dushyant's timing and dismissed his concerns as election-related stress.
Experts' opinion and role of governor
The current BJP govt seems secure for the time being. As per established rules, a no-confidence motion against a government cannot be initiated within a six-month period following the previous one. The BJP government in Haryana had already faced a no-trust motion in February, making it ineligible for another such challenge at present.
However, legislative experts have said that there is no codified rule preventing the introduction of a motion for a floor test in the House. In the current situation, the governor's role becomes crucial, as he can decide on convening the House for the floor test. The Constitution grants the governor the authority to summon, prorogue, and dissolve the state legislative assembly, and the Supreme Court has emphasized the governor's constitutional obligation to act judiciously and impartially in such matters.
Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya, a native of Andhra Pradesh, was an RSS pracharak until 1989 before joining the BJP. He has served as a Union minister in both the Vajpayee and Modi governments and has been an MP for four terms. In 2019, he was appointed as the governor of Himachal Pradesh and later shifted to Haryana in 2021.
The state is scheduled to go to assembly elections in October this year.
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