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The political landscape of Haryana took a dramatic turn on Friday as the Congress party intensified its demand for fresh elections in the state.
The crisis erupted after three independent MLAs withdrew their support from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, leaving it in a minority.
In response, the Congress submitted a two-page memorandum to Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, urging him to dismiss the Saini government and impose President's rule in the state.
The memorandum argued that the government had lost its majority and could no longer effectively govern.
In addition to the three MLAs who withdrew their support, the Congress also pointed out that another independent MLA, Balraj Kundu, had done the same a couple of years ago.
Kundu, who represents the Meham constituency, had accused the then-Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, of leading a corrupt administration.
On Friday, Kundu also wrote to the Governor, seeking President's rule and calling for a floor test to determine the strength of the government.
The Congress, in its memorandum, claimed that 45 members in the 90-seat assembly were opposed to the ruling camp, including 30 from the Congress, 10 from the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), one from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), and the four independents.
The BJP, on the other hand, has 40 members and is backed by two independents and Gopal Kanda of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP).
The current strength of the House stands at 88 as former Chief Minister Khattar and Ranjit Chautala, a minister in the incumbent government, have resigned to contest the Lok Sabha elections.
In another significant development, JJP MLA Devender Singh Babli issued a warning to party leader and former deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Singh Chautala, cautioning him against treating the JJP as a family enterprise.
Babli and two other JJP legislators had met with Khattar on Thursday.
Babli expressed his discontent that Chautala had not consulted the MLAs before writing to the Governor and demanding a floor test.
He emphasized that the party operates on a democratic system and should not be considered the personal property of Chautala and his family.
In the October 2019 assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party, having won a single-party majority in the 2014 state polls.
It subsequently formed a government in alliance with the JJP, with Khattar as Chief Minister and Chautala as his deputy.
However, in March of this year, the two parties parted ways.
On Wednesday, a day after the current crisis began, Chautala declared his support for the Congress in its efforts to bring down the government.
Three legislators – Sombir Sangwan, Randhir Gollen, and Dharampal Gonder – formally withdrew their support and announced their intention to campaign for the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections.
The political crisis in Haryana is expected to intensify in the coming days, with the Governor's decision on the Congress and JJP memoranda likely to have a significant impact on the future of the state government.