"Going to extend support to Congress from outside": Independent MLAs in Haryana after withdrawing support to BJP

KARNAL: After three independent legislators withdrew their support from the Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government in Haryana, one of the independent MLAs Dhharampal Gonder declared that he will extend support to Congress from outside.

Gonder said that he felt insulted due to his exclusion from local election campaigns. Consulting with the public, he decided to throw his support behind the Congress party.

"Three MLAs have withdrawn support from Haryana Govt. During the election campaign in Nilokheri and other places, we were not invited...After this, the public started questioning us why we weren't called. It was an insult for us. The public asked us to not extend support from now on...We did not want any ministerial post, we just wanted to work for the people of the state.

Now, we are going to extend support to Congress from outside," Gonder said while speaking to ANI. Echoing similar remarks, independent MLA from Pundri, Randhir Singh Gollen said that the independent MLAs have decided to back the Congress party from outside after consulting the public. Gollen said, "Three independent MLAs have taken back their support (from BJP). I had been discussing with the people of my area as to what needs to be done. After taking all their suggestions, I decided to take this decision.

The people have issues that the farmers are in trouble, businessmen are facing issues, and the poor are facing troubles. There are issues of unemployment and hence we decided to support the Congress from outside". Meanwhile, Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, on Tuesday said that the situation in Haryana is against the BJP. "BJP govt has lost the majority. Among the list of 48 MLAs they had given, few MLAs have resigned because they are fighting the Lok Sabha election and some independent MLAs withdrew their support to BJP and have extended their support to Congress. So the minority MLAs have no right," Hooda said while speaking to ANI.

In a blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana, three independent MLAs have withdrawn their support to it. The three MLAs are Randhir Golan from Pundri, Dharmpal Gonder from Nilokheri and Sombir Singh Sangwan from Charkhi Dadri. All of them decided to withdraw support from the Saini government and extend support to the Congress during the elections.

The development came amid the Lok Sabha polls and within two months of Nayab Singh Saini taking over as Chief Minister of the state after replacing Manohar Lal Khattar. In the House of 90, the BJP has 39 MLAs, the Congress has 30, the Jan Nayak Janata Party has 10, the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) has one, and the Indian National Lok Dal has one, along with seven Independents.

The BJP which had 41 MLAs initially was reduced to 39 when the Karnal and Rania seats fell vacant following the resignation of two MLAs. Earlier six out of seven Independent MLAs used to support the BJP. With three Independents withdrawing their support, the BJP at present, has the support of three Independents and one HLP MLA, making it a government of 43 MLAs. The 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state go to the polls on May 25.