Support of six of seven independents to Khattar govt is 'unconditional', says Haryana minister Ranjit Chautala

Amid signs of differences between the ruling BJP and ally JJP, Haryana Power Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala has claimed that the support of six of the seven independent MLAs to the Manohar Lal Khattar government remains "unconditional".

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) have been non-committal on whether they would contest the assembly elections this year and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls together, and their leaders have taken swipes at each other.

Former Tripura Chief Minister and BJP's Haryana affairs in-charge Biplab Kumar Deb had a few days ago held meetings with the independent MLAs, triggering speculation on whether the BJP-JJP coalition will last the entire term of the Khattar government.

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Chautala, who is also an independent MLA vouched for the support of five others.

"Our support is unconditional and for the full five-year term," the minister, whose grandnephew is Deputy Chief Minister and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala, told PTI.

The senior Chautala is former deputy prime minister Devi Lal's son.

In the present 90-member House, BJP has 41 seats after it added the Adampur seat in the last year's bypoll. Meanwhile, the Congress has 30 seats and JJP 10. While six out of seven Independents support the BJP-led government, one each member belongs to the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Haryana Lokhit Party.

HLP led by MLA Gopal Kanda is also supporting the M L Khattar-led government.

In the 2019 assembly polls, after the denial of candidature by Congress, Ranjit entered the fray as an independent and won the Rania seat in Sirsa.

Ranjit said Khattar always listens to the suggestions and feedback given by Independents and is "always supportive".

When asked why the BJP and JJP have been non-committal on contesting future polls together, the power minister called it an internal matter of the two parties. Meanwhile, Sombir Sangwan, who was among the Independent MLAs who recently met Deb, asserted that BJP is at a loss with the continuation of its alliance with the JJP.

Sangwan claimed that BJP did not need JJP for a stable government as it enjoyed the support of most Independents.

HLP chief Gopal Kanda has also maintained that BJP does not need JJP's support for a stable government and said his outfit has been extending support to the Khattar-led government right from the start.

The BJP joined hands with the JJP in 2019 to form a government in Haryana after failing to get a majority with JJP leader Dushyant Chautala being made the deputy chief minister.

However, leaders of the two parties have recently taken a swipe at each other with Deb saying that the JJP did no favour to the BJP by supporting it as the regional party also joined the government.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while recently addressing a rally in Sirsa, had appealed to the people of Haryana to once again give all 10 parliamentary seats in the state to the Modi government "to make the country No. 1 in the world and to make Modi ji prime minister once again".

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP won all the 10 Lok Sabha seats from Haryana.

Ranjit, who is MLA from Rania in the Sirsa district, played a key role in ensuring the Sirsa rally's success.

Shah had also visited Ranjit's Sirsa residence after the rally and had tea.

"It was an honour to have Shah sahab visit my home and have tea with us," said Ranjit Chautala.