Dushyant Chautala, the leader of the Jannayak Janata Party, will become the new Haryana Chief Minister, former Congress state unit president Ashok Tanwar said on Thursday, after the months old party won 10 seats in the state elections.
In Haryana, the BJP has won 33 seats and is leading on seven seats, whereas the Congress has won 28 seats and is leading on three seats, the Election Commission data showed. The JJP's support is needed to form a government in the state, where the majority mark is 46.
"It is certain that the Chief Minister will be from the JJP ... Both the parties should help Chautala become the chief minister," Mr Tanwar, who had quit the Congress before the state election, was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.
"It is up to the Congress and the BJP as to who wants to support him," he added.
Mr Tanwar had protested outside Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's house last month alleging irregularities in ticket distribution. He had extended his support to Mr Chautala's party.
"Today I am happy but my soul is weeping. I have worked for this party. We were asking tickets for those who fought the elections on JJP ticket and defeated many including ministers," he added.
The Congress, galvanised by the unexpected trends, has reached out to Dushyant Chautala.
"Want to tell Dushyant Chautala to come together with us. Each MLA of their party has been chosen to throw out the BJP," Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda said.
Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar will meet the Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya this evening to stake claim to form government in the state, sources said.
With inputs from ANI
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