No Discussion On Floor Test, Haryana Ministers Confide Amid Numbers Crisis

The political crisis in Haryana appears to be on the backburner so far as the BJP-led government, allegedly in minority, is concerned. There has been no move to call a special session for a floor test, BJP MLAs have confided.

The Opposition parties -- especially the Congress and Dushyant Chautala's JJP (Jannayak Janta Party) -- had written to the Governor last week, seeking a special session where the government can prove its majority. They claimed with the pulling of support by three Independent MLAs, the government's numbers are below the majority mark, which can be proved through a floor test.

Ministers of Haryana who were part of the cabinet meet said the agenda was routine -- excise policy and others -- and no discussion was held on any assembly session.

The ministers, however, contended that the government numbers are past the majority mark and it is the call of the Haryana Governor or the assembly speaker whether a floor test should be held. "We are ready for any floor test," was the refrain.

Haryana Industry Minister Mool Chand Sharma said the Opposition did not have any issue besides this government issue which the opposition has just created out of box.

"Manohar Lal Khattar has we are ready for the floor test. We are in full majority and we even have the signatures of MLAs who are standing with us... in total we have 40 MLAs," he said.

"We have already given a lot of answers to the Opposition but the Opposition doesn't have any work," he added.

With the assembly elections due later this year -- the term of the assembly ends in November -- toppling the Nayeb Singh Saini government could largely be an exercise in optics.

The Haryana Assembly, with 90 seats, currently has 88 members, which brings the majority mark down to 45. The BJP has 40 MLAs, including three Independent candidates, and is two short of majority.

The Congress has 30 MLAs and three independent candidates supporting it. Along with the JJP, its numbers will go up to 43. This scenario leaves two MLAs unaligned-one from the Haryana Lokhit Party and the other from the INLD.