Haryana, March 12 (Punjab Khabarnama): Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, along with his entire cabinet, submitted his resignation to Governor Bandaru Dattareya, signaling potential discord in the ruling BJP-JJP alliance over Lok Sabha seat-sharing for the upcoming elections. With BJP as the single largest party holding 40 out of 90 Assembly seats, there is confidence in forming the government with support from independent MLAs.
Both BJP and JJP, led by Dushyant Chautala, have announced plans to contest the polls independently. In the 2019 Assembly elections, JJP’s 10 seats played a crucial role in the post-poll deal with BJP to secure a majority. However, in the current situation, the alliance faces challenges as JJP sought two Lok Sabha seats, while BJP, eyeing 370 seats nationally, agreed to allocate only one.
Speculation surrounds Khattar’s potential Lok Sabha debut from Karnal, currently held by BJP’s Sanjay Bhatia. Meanwhile, Bhatia might transition from Parliament to the Haryana Assembly to assume the Chief Minister’s role.
There are also rumors of Khattar returning as Chief Minister, possibly leading a government supported by independent MLAs. This new BJP government could involve two Deputy Chief Ministers representing different communities, a strategic move aligning with the party’s approach in other states.
Sources suggest that the BJP government might further solidify its position with five JJP MLAs likely to cross over. Jogi Ram Sihag, Ram Kumar Gautam, Ishwar Singh, Ramniwas, and Devinder Babli are expected to form a breakaway group and align with the BJP. The political landscape in Haryana is unfolding with complexities, anticipating strategic moves and realignments in the coming days.
