Chandigarh, June 14
Six Independent MLAs today joined the Congress. They were earlier supporting the INLD Government.
Mr Dev Raj Diwan, Independent MLA from Sonepat; Mr Rajinder Bisla, MLA from Ballabhgarh; Mr Jai Parkash Gupta, MLA from Karnal; Mr Mula Ram from Narnaul; Mr Daryaon Singh from
Jhajjar; and Mr Bhim Sain Mehta from Indri, met the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, today and reposed faith in her leadership. The MLAs were taken to Ms Gandhi by Mr Ahmed Patel, an AICC office-bearer and Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress MP from Rohtak and former chief of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee.
Talking to TNS over the phone Mr Hooda claimed that the MLAs had joined the Congress without any precondition.
Interestingly, all six MLAs, who joined the Congress as associate members, were earlier supporting the INLD Government in the state. Mr Dev Raj Diwan, when contacted from here over the telephone, said they were supporting the INLD Government because it was the need of the hour at that point of time.
As a result of the induction of these MLAs into the Congress, the party has made a huge leap towards bagging one of the two Rajya Sabha seats of the state for which the elections are due on June 28. The strength of the Congress in the State Assembly has gone up to 27. It now needs the support of only two more MLAs to win a Rajya Sabha seat and these additional votes are expected to come from the two- member Haryana Vikas
Party (HVP).
