Haryana’s Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his Cabinet arrived at the Governor House in Chandigarh amidst speculation about a possible breakdown in the BJP-JJP alliance. On March 12, they tendered their resignations to Governor Bandaru Dattatreya.
The visit followed earlier discussions between Mr. Khattar, his Cabinet, and Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, amid concerns of discord within the alliance over seat allocation for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
The BJP has convened a gathering of its MLAs, as reported by PTI sources.
On March 12, Independent MLA Nayan Pal Rawat asserted that while the alliance is teetering on the edge, certain Independent MLAs backing the ML Khattar Government will guarantee its continuation.
“I met with the Chief Minister yesterday and our support for the CM Manohar Lal-led government has been confirmed. During our discussions on the Lok Sabha elections, it became evident that steps to dissolve the alliance with JJP are already in motion,” stated Haryana Independent MLA Nayan Rawat on March 12 following his meeting with the Chief Minister.
In the 2019 Haryana Legislative Assembly election, Mr. Nayan Pal Rawat secured a seat in the Haryana Legislative Assembly representing Prithla as an Independent candidate.
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Another Independent MLA, Dharampal Gonder, stated that the Independent MLAs were backing the BJP-led Government. Gopal Kanda, MLA of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP), suggested that the alliance between the BJP and JJP was on shaky ground, asserting that BJP could secure victory in all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the State independently. He added that a further meeting with the Chief Minister would determine the future course of action.
In the Haryana Assembly with 90 members, the BJP holds 41 seats. Additionally, it garners backing from 5 Independent MLAs and Gopal Kanda, the HLP MLA.
Meanwhile, as per sources, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) has convened a meeting in Delhi, scheduled to take place at the residence of Haryana’s Deputy Chief Minister, Dushyant Chautala.
Reports indicate that the Haryana Deputy Chief Minister relinquished the government motorcade, hinting at a strained alliance. On March 10, Brijendra Singh, the ex-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Hisar in Haryana, defected to the Congress following his resignation from the ruling party.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured victory in all 10 parliamentary seats, whereas the JJP, in alliance with AAP, failed to compete effectively in 7 of the contested seats.
The Lok Sabha elections are anticipated to take place between April and May this year.
