Haryana: MLA’s death brings down Nayab Saini govt’s strength to 42, Opposition may push for floor test again

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh, May 26

With polling over, the troubles for the Nayab Singh Saini-led “minority” government in the state are likely to escalate with their number in the Vidhan Sabha dropping to 42 in the now 87-member House.

Sources said opposition parties were gearing up for a fresh round of “pressure” for a floor test with the BJP down from 43 to 42 following the death of Badshahpur MLA Rakesh Daultabad, an Independent, who was supporting the BJP government.

Will need 44 MLAs to prove majority in 87-member House

• While the BJP needs 45 MLAs to prove its majority in the House of 88 MLAs, it will require 44 MLAs to prove a majority in the 87-member House
• Sources said Opposition is gearing up for a fresh round of “pressure” for a floor test with the BJP down from 43 to 42 following the death of Badshahpur MLA, who was supporting it

The BJP has 40 MLAs in the 90-member House, which has a reduced strength of 87. Two members—Manohar Lal Khattar after he was replaced as Chief Minister and named the BJP’s Karnal candidate, and Independent MLA Ranjit Singh who joined the BJP and was fielded by the party from Hisar after the Lok Sabha poll was announced—resigned as MLAs. Daultabad died following a heart attack yesterday.

The party now has the support of one Independent MLA, Nayan Pal Rawat, and the sole MLA of the Haryana Lokhit Party, Gopal Kanda.

On the other hand, the Congress, with 30 MLAs, has the support of three Independent MLAs—Sombir Sangwan, Randhir Singh Gollen and Dharampal Gonder—who withdrew support from the Saini government a fornight back and extended support to the Congress.

INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala is also a part of the Opposition presently, as is Independent MLA Balraj Kundu. It remains to be seen which way they will swing if a trust vote is held.

The JJP with 10 MLAs, some of who have rebelled against the leadership, has also offered “outside” support to the Congress. The “rebels” are either in touch with the BJP or the Congress.

In this Lok Sabha election, JJP MLA Ram Kumar Gautam praised PM Narendra Modi and indirectly urged his workers to extend support to the BJP in Hisar, even though JJP leader and former Depuy CM Dushyant Chautala’s mother, Naina, was in the fray from this seat.

Another JJP MLA, Devinder Singh Babli’s non-government organisation announced its support to Selja, the Congress candidate from Sirsa.

Though Babli maintained that he remained a JJP MLA till his term ended, he had left the future course of action open-ended.

While the BJP needed 45 MLAs to prove its majority in the House of 88 MLAs, it will require 44 MLAs to prove a majority in the 87-member House.