The Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government in Haryana on Tuesday plunged into crisis after three Independent MLAs withdrew support putting the government to a minority in the state assembly. The MLAs have announced they would back the Congress in the state.
Amid the crisis, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Digvijay Singh Chautala urged Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda to initiate the process to "bring down the government which has lost the trust of people". He, however, refused to confirm whether or not he would support the Congress to form the government, thereby keeping speculations alive.
Calling on Hooda to meet the governor and apprise him of the situation,
Chautala said the JJP will work to topple this government. "Hooda should talk to JJP and independents and stake claim to form the new government," Chautala added.
The JJP, which was an ally of the BJP in the state, had parted ways with the saffron party over the allocation of seats for the Lok Sabha elections. The JJP had demanded two Lok Sabha seats in Haryana but was refused by the BJP, following which the party pulled the plug.
However, Chautala was non-committal when asked whether the JJP would support the Congress to form a government. "I am not saying JJP is willing to support and form a government with the Congress. At least the government that has lost the trust of people, Hooda should initiate the process to bring it down. Whether the JJP forms the government or whether the Congress forms the government, who supports whom...it is a political question," the JJP leader told PTI.
He also expressed willingness to communicate with Congress stating that Hooda should also open a channel of communication with the JJP, which has 10 MLAs. "Hooda should not come with any excuse...if he says the government does not have the numbers, then what is he waiting for. Is he waiting for the BJP to manage everything?" he said.
When asked that some JJP MLAs have indicated support for the BJP even though JJP has pulled out of the government, Chautala said, "That doesn't really matter. The one-third majority is with our leader Dushyant (indicating if a couple of MLAs support the BJP they will invite action)."
Chautala also said, "Rather than holding a press conference in Rohtak and making it a political scene, if he (Hooda) has seriousness he should have gone to the governor's house and initiated talks with JJP which has 10 MLAs."
"Whether no confidence can come or not is not for Hooda to decide, it is for the governor being the constitutional head," Chautala added.
