Several MLAs in touch with us: Ex-CM Khattar as BJP govt loses majority in Haryana

Former Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar.

Even as his party’s government in Haryana finds itself in minority after three independent legislators withdrew their support a day ago, senior BJP leader and ex-Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Wednesday that “several MLAs” were in touch with the ruling party as well.

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“There will be no impact of who is going where amid the election season. Several MLAs are in touch with us too. There should be no worry,” Khattar said in Karnal, where he held a roadshow seeking support from people for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP’s first chief minister in Haryana, the politician, 70, who held the office twice, is contesting Lok Sabha polls from the Karnal constituency. He resigned from the top post in March, paving the way for party colleague and state unit chief Nayab Singh Saini to succeed him.

On Tuesday, however, the three independent legislators withdrew their support to the Saini government, reducing it to a minority administration. The MLAs – Randhir Golan (Pundri), Dharmpal Gonder (Nilokheri) and Sombir Singh Sangwan (Dadri) – declared that they will campaign for the Congress in the general elections.

Also Read: 3 Independent MLAs withdraw support to Haryana’s BJP govt. What next? How numbers stack up in assembly?

In the 90-seat Haryana assembly, as many as 80 members are from the BJP (40), Congress (30) and Jannayak Janta Party (10). In October 2019, the BJP-JJP came together to form a coalition government, but split in March this year.

Also Read | Dushyant Chautala’s JJP calls for toppling Haryana govt as 3 Independent MLAs exit BJP camp

The state’s 10 Lok Sabha seats – nine are held by the saffron party, while one was vacated by Saini to become CM – will vote in a single phase on May 25, the sixth of the seven-phase nationwide polling. Haryana will also hold assembly elections in October to elect its next government. While the BJP secured a majority on its own here in 2014, it emerged as the single-largest party in 2019, and formed an alliance government with the JJP.

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