Haryana Govt's Strength Drops to 42, Opposition May Push for Floor Test

The troubles for the Nayab Singh Saini-led "minority" government in Haryana are likely to escalate further after their strength in the Vidhan Sabha dropped to 42 in the now 87-member House. This follows the death of Badshahpur MLA Rakesh Daultabad, an Independent legislator who was supporting the BJP government.

With the Assembly elections over, opposition parties are gearing up to exert fresh pressure for a floor test, sensing an opportunity to remove the government that has been surviving on a wafer-thin majority. 

The ruling BJP has 40 MLAs of its own, and it had been surviving on the support of the Haryana Lokhit Party's lone MLA Gopal Kanda and two Independent legislators, including Daultabad. With his demise, the government's strength has been reduced to 42 in the 87-member House. To prove a majority, the BJP will now need the support of 44 MLAs, which appears an uphill task given the evolving political equations.

The principal opposition Congress, with 30 MLAs, already has the backing of three Independent MLAs – Sombir Sangwan, Randhir Singh Gollen, and Dharampal Gonder – who withdrew support from the Saini government a fortnight ago. Additionally, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA Abhay Singh Chautala and Independent MLA Balraj Kundu are also part of the Opposition at present.

The wildcard remains the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) with 10 MLAs, some of whom have rebelled against the party leadership. While the JJP has offered "outside" support to the Congress, certain rebel MLAs are believed to be in touch with the BJP or the Congress, leaving their stance uncertain ahead of a potential trust vote.

During the Lok Sabha election campaign, JJP MLA Ram Kumar Gautam praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and indirectly urged his workers to support the BJP in Hisar, even though JJP leader and former Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala's mother, Naina Chautala, was the party's candidate from the seat.

In another instance, a non-governmental organisation linked to JJP MLA Devinder Singh Babli announced support for the Congress candidate from Sirsa, Selja, although Babli maintained that he remained a JJP MLA until his term ended. The current situation has set the stage for intense political manoeuvring in the state, with the Opposition likely to intensify its efforts to dislodge the government through a floor test. While the BJP had needed 45 MLAs to prove its majority in the earlier 88-member House, the new arithmetic required them to secure the support of 44 MLAs in the 87-member Assembly.

Political observers believe that this task may prove challenging for the ruling party, given the fluid nature of the alliances and the possibility of further defections. As the dust settles on the Assembly elections, all eyes are now on the impending power struggle in Haryana, where the fate of the government hangs in the balance.