With Kiran Choudhry’s resignation, Congress House strength down by another MLA

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 18

In a number game that is continuously changing in the Vidhan Sabha, Congress leader Kiran Choudhry’s resignation from the party will mean one MLA less in the House for the Congress, which is seeking dissolution of the Assembly.

Now, BJP tally 46

The BJP requires 44 MLAs for a majority in the House while it already has the support of 45 MLAs. Sources said Choudhry’s exit from the Congress would mean an MLA added to the saffron party’s kitty in the Vidhan Sabha, taking the BJP up to 46 MLAs.

The party, which has 29 MLAs in the House after Congress MLA Varun Chaudhry got elected to the Lok Sabha from Ambala, will be down to 28 MLAs following Choudhry’s decision to quit the party. The Congress also has the support of three Independent MLAs.

The Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government now has the support of 45 MLAs in the 87-member House. While the BJP has 41 MLAs of its own, it also has the support of Independent MLA Nayan Pal Rawat, and Haryana Lokhit Party MLA Gopal Kanda, as also JJP MLAs Jogi Ram Sihag and Ram Niwas Surjakhera.

The BJP requires 44 MLAs for a majority in the House while it already has the support of 45 MLAs. Sources said Choudhry’s exit from the Congress would mean an MLA added to the BJP kitty in the Vidhan Sabha, taking the BJP up to 46 MLAs.

As per information, Choudhry is unlikely to resign as MLA, even though she quit the Congress. The sources said if she decided not to quit, the Congress can send to the Speaker in writing that Choudhry has quit the party and her membership to the House should be cancelled.

Once the Speaker gets the party’s representation, it is for him to decide whether or not she can continue as an MLA. The sources said it was unlikely a decision in this regard would come anytime soon.

Further, with the Assembly elections four months away, the two JJP MLAs supporting the BJP and Choudhry will continue to be members of the House and will support the BJP in a trust vote, if it is brought during the monsoon session. JJP leader and former Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala has given a representation for action against Sihag and Surjakhera to the Speaker, which is pending with him. It is expected that a Congress representation against Choudhry will meet

a similar fate.

In the 90-member Vidhan Sabha, Manohar Lal Khattar, Varun Chaudhry and Independent MLA Ranjit Singh resigned as MLAs while Independent MLA Rakesh Daultabad died following a heart attack. However, Saini has been inducted into the House as MLA.

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