Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar resigns amid BJP-JJP alliance crisis
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar tendered his resignation on Tuesday morning after a meeting with Governor Bandaru Dattatreya. Khattar's resignation, along with that of his entire cabinet, came amid rumors of a potential rift within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) alliance. The rift revolves around seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Why does this story matter?
The friction is due to the BJP's resistance to the JJP's request for two out of 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana. This isn't the first instance of strain within the coalition. The JJP has raised concern over the farmer protests' impact on its Jat voter base. Notably, the state will go to assembly polls in October.
Nayab Singh Saini likely to replace Khattar
The BJP, which is the single largest party in the 90-member Assembly with 41 seats, is confident of forming the government again with the support of independent MLAs, and Haryana Lokhit Party MLA Gopal Kanda. Earlier, the BJP had formed a post-poll alliance with Dushyant Chautala's JJP. According to reports, state BJP chief Nayab Singh Saini might replace Khattar.
Independent MLAs pledge support to BJP-led government
Independent MLA Nayan Pal Rawat stated that the alliance was nearing a breaking point, but some independent MLAs would continue to support the Khattar government. Another independent MLA, Dharampal Gonder, also confirmed that independent MLAs were backing the BJP-led administration. Kanda claimed that despite the strained BJP-JJP alliance, the BJP could secure all 10 Lok Sabha seats from the state independently.
Central BJP leaders to oversee the transition
Central BJP leaders, including Union Minister Arjun Munda and former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, are present in the state to oversee the transition. Meanwhile, both the BJP and JJP's top leadership have scheduled separate meetings with their respective MLAs. Prior to this, Khattar will convene a meeting of all BJP ministers at his residence.
