Dushyant Chautala, the prime mover trying to pull down the Haryana government led by his former ally, the BJP, appears to have taken reports that around four of his nine MLAs had a secret meeting with the BJP this afternoon, with textbook equanimity. Switching parties is normal at election time and if anyone wishes to do so, they should resign from their party first, he told NDTV this evening. Asked about the possibility of an Operation Lotus in the state by the BJP, which is in a tight corner after three Independent MLAs pulled out support to the government, he said, “Then the people of Haryana will come to know”.
Sources have said that four MLAs of Mr Chautala’s JJP (Jannayak Janta Party) met the former BJP Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar this afternoon, where the current political crisis was discussed.
The BJP had ended the alliance with Mr Chautala, a Deputy Chief Minister in the Manohar Lal Khattar government, in March, as it brought in Nayab Singh Saini as the Chief Minister ahead of the Lok Sabha election.
Earlier this week, after the Independents pulled off support to the government, Mr Chautala responded. He promptly declared that the government is now in minority and asked the Governor for a floor test.
Appearing at a press conference with leaders of the Opposition Congress, he said he was ready to provide the Grand Old Party with outside support should they wish to form a new government.
Today, asked about the JJP MLAs’ meeting with Mr Khattar, Mr Chautala told NDTV this is was “not the time to worry about who is meeting whom”. The fact remains that the government is in minority, he added.
While whip and expulsion were the standard means to deal with rebels, “this is the time of election,” he said. “People will switch parties. If someone has to switch parties we will come to know. Let it come out in public. Who knows, even the BJP MLAs can switch sides,” he said, adding a fresh spin to the situation.
