Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday resigned as the Chief Minister of Haryana amid growing rifts within the ruling coalition of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The fissures between the BJP and the JJP, led by Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, reportedly deepened due to their inability to negotiate a seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming polls. The BJP had secured all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana during the 2019 elections.
Reacting to this political development in Haryana, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on X, “It”s time for change. The chaos that we are seeing today in Haryana is happening under the pressure of farmers, youth and wrestlers and the same is going to happen in the country too.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Congress MP Deepender Hooda remarked, “All that is happening in Haryana is because the public has decided to bring change. The public was upset with the present government in the state. We are keeping a close eye on the developments.”
Former Haryana Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda expressed, “We always knew the BJP- JJP alliance was made just to mislead people and now it”s become clear that they were always based on nothing. People have seen through them and will vote for us.”
The recent upheaval in Haryana”s political landscape coincides with a potential resurgence of the Congress in the state, as it gears up for the upcoming Assembly election.
Last week, former BJP MP and Hisar MP Brijendra Singh defected to the Congress, citing compelling political reasons for his decision.
In the 2019 Assembly election, the Congress substantially increased its seat tally to 31, up from 15 in the previous election. Although the party didn”t secure any Lok Sabha seats, it emerged as the runner-up in all 10 constituencies, demonstrating 5.5 per cent surge in its vote share to 28.5 per cent.
Meanwhile, both the BJP and the JJP leadership have held separate meetings with their respective MLAs. The BJP asserts its majority with 41 MLAs and the support of five independents, surpassing the halfway mark of 45 seats in the 90-member Haryana assembly.
Sources suggest that Manohar Lal Khattar may reclaim his position as the chief minister later today, leading a new government bolstered by five JJP MLAs: Jogi Ram Sihag, Ram Kumar Gautam, Ishwar Singh, Ramniwas, and Devinder Babli. While these five are expected to align with the BJP, they might not be allocated ministerial roles. The new government is likely to garner support from seven independent MLAs.
Although Khattar is considered the frontrunner, there is speculation about a potential replacement to preempt any anti-incumbency sentiments. Sources indicate that Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini and Sanjay Bhatia, the Lok Sabha MP from Karnal (the constituency encompassing Khattar”s Assembly constituency), are also contenders for the chief ministerial position. Furthermore, there”s speculation that Khattar might contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Karnal.
