The Congress is demanding assembly elections under President’s rule in Haryana, with the BJP’s strength reduced to 43 – ostensibly less than the majority mark – after three independent MLAs withdrew their support to the party.

Meanwhile, the BJP’s former ally JJP has also announced that it will vote against the party in case of a no-confidence vote. JJP chief Dushyant Singh Chautala told the media that “all our MLAs will vote against the BJP government” and declared his support if the Congress wanted to bring down the government.

The independent MLAs are Sombir Sangwan of Dadri, Randhir Singh Gollen of Pundri, and Dharampal Gonder of Nilokheri. They said that they were extending support to the Congress as every section had been hit by problems such as inflation, unemployment and crime. 

Two seats have fallen vacant in the 90-member house after former CM Manohar Lal resigned from Karnal to make way for Nayab Singh Saini, who replaced him as the chief minister, and after independent MLA Ranjit Chautala resigned after joining the BJP. The Nayab Singh Saini government had won the trust vote in March with six independents and a Haryana Lokhit Party throwing their weight behind the BJP, which has 40 members in the 88-member house.

“With the withdrawal of support by the three MLAs and Jannayak Janta Party’s (JJP) exit from the government, it is clear that a minority government is running the State. In such a situation, the BJP has no moral right to remain in power. The government should face an assembly election. This should be conducted by immediately imposing President’s rule in Haryana,” Haryana Congress chief Chaudhary Udaibhan said, according to The Hindu.

Haryana leader of opposition Bhupinder SIngh Hooda said the Congress’s victory is certain in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

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