Before the completion of the second term of the BJP government in Haryana, Manohar Lal was replaced by newly appointed CM Nayab Singh Saini running the government in alliance with Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) for about four and a half years.
After bringing the alliance with the JJP to end, the saffron BJP was seeking majority to run the government, since the 7 MLAs-6 independent and one from Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) has extended the support to the BJP like earlier, the BJP succeeded in winning trust vote moved in the House on February 13, However, no one denies that before the formation of the new government, all six supporting independent MLAs including Randhir Singh Golan from Pundri Assembly, Rakesh Daulatabad, MLA from Badshahpur, Nayan Pal Rawat, MLA from Nilokheri, Dharampal Gondar, MLA from Dadri, Sombir Sangwan from Dadri and HLP MLA Gopal Kanda from Sirsa were expected to get berth in the newly formed cabinet after its expansion but all denied the same.
In this series, it is learnt that all of the independent MLAs extending support to the BJP are being upset with the ruling BJP over not including them in the party’s election strategy. Independents were believed to be pretty hopeful that BJP would give them a significant role in the Lok Sabha election while framing its electoral strategy so that their chances of getting a ticket in the upcoming assembly elections remain alive.
A BJP heavyweight said on anonymity that most of the party leaders are in favor of giving importance to independents only up to a certain limit. After the expansion of the cabinet, the BJP is on toes in election preparations keeping itself away from independent MLAs away from the party’s electoral strategy as well as preparations as a calculative move. Political experts believe that after not getting a berth in the cabinet, now there is resentment among the independent MLAs due to the party keeping a distance from them. In the same sequence, amid election preparations, BJP has also kept independent MLAs away from CM Naseeb Singh Saini’s dinner party held on February 8 as none of the MLAs was invited. Due to this, the independent MLAs are said to be continuously disgruntled but the BJP is not opening its cards in any keeping the ball in its own court as well as leaving them in a state of confusion ahead of assembly polls. Earlier, several BJPof the opinion big shots were of the opinion that in future BJP should contest elections alone running the government even with the support of independents. Even at that time, these independent MLAs were among the ones who extended their support with an intention to fulfill their political ambitions. but contrary to expectations, the BJP opted to continue the alliance leaving the independent MLA with empty hands.
It is pertinent to mention that the BJP has 41 MLAs in the Haryana Assembly of 90, while it requires the support of 46 MLAs to get a majority to run the government. Among the independent MLAs are Randhir Singh Golan from Pundri Assembly, Rakesh Daulatabad, MLA from Badshahpur, Nayan Pal Rawat, MLA from Nilokheri, Dharampal Gondar, MLA from Dadri, Sombir Sangwan from Dadri and Ranjit Singh Chautala from Raniya. Thus with the support for 7 independent and one HLP MLAs, the number reaches to 48. Notably, One of the independent MLAs Ranjit Singh had already supported BJP in the Lok Sabha elections and was given a berth in cabinet.
In such a situation, the BJP is not hesitating to take risk of annoying aforesaid MLAs. When the new Chief Minister was debated on the trust motion in the Assembly on March 13 last month, all the independent and HLP MLAs who were currently supporting him were present. Along with that, even after the party’s whip, five JJP MLAs marked their presence in the House and then the confidence motion was taken up, they left the House as a calculatvei strategy It was believed that if in case independent MLAs withdraw their support, then five of the JJP MLAs, including Ramkumar Gautam, Ishwar Singh, Jogi Ram Sihag, Ramniwas Surjakheda and Devendra Babli, would be used as back up. Apart from this, the reason cited for not making even a single minister among the independents is that not everyone can be made a minister and in such a situation, inductiong a single MLA in the state cabinet may annoy others.
