Decode Politics: Why BJP is still confident in Haryana, and Congress may not move in for the kill yet

FURTHER WORSENING problems for the BJP government in Haryana, after three Independent MLAs withdrew their support to it, its former ally Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) announced that it would support any Congress move to topple the government. The developments come ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to all 10 seats in the state on May 25, with Assembly elections to follow towards the end of the year. The BJP insists its government led by Chief Minister Nayab Saini is intact.

The five reasons for its confidence:

The Congress led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda moved a no-confidence motion against the Saini government as recently as March 13. CM Saini won it with a voice vote.

With the JJP’s 10 MLAs having parted ways, the BJP had 41 MLAs at the time, along with six Independent MLAs and one MLA of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) backing it, putting its numbers at 48 in a House of 90. The Congress had 30 MLAs, the INLD one, while one Independent, Balraj Kundu, who has remained non-committal all through the ups and downs in Haryana, abstained. After the JJP issued a whip, none of its MLAs voted, helping the BJP easily win.

As per rules, a no-confidence motion cannot be moved within six months of a previous one. Asked about this, Hooda agreed that the motion could not be moved at this point, but asserted that “the Chief Minister should resign on moral grounds, as his government has lost majority”.

Today, the strength of the House is 88, after Manohar Lal Khattar and Ranjit Singh resigned from their respective Assembly segments of Karnal and Rania to become the BJP’s Lok Sabha candidates from Karnal and Hisar, respectively.

At current strength, the BJP needs 45 votes for a majority. With Khattar’s resignation, it has 40 MLAs, plus the support of two