Giving a shot in the arm to Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, four of the six MLAs of Kuldeep Bishnoi-led Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) today joined the Congress whose strength went up to 44, two short of a majority on its own in the 90-member state Assembly.
The Congress, which fell six short of simple majority in the Assembly polls, also has the support of seven Independents and the lone BSP legislator Akram Khan.
The four HJC MLAs, Rao Narender Singh (Narnaul), Zile Ram Chochra (Assandh), Satpal Sangwan (Dadri) and Vinod Bhayana (Hansi), said they had ?legally split? and ?merged with Congress? as they constituted two-third of the HJC legislature party strength ? in the process escaping the anti-defection law.
The four MLAs told reporters that their decision to switch over to Congress was ?unconditional? and accused Bishnoi of hobnobbing with Opposition leader and INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala.
The HJC is now left with just two MLAs ? Bishnoi, Adampur legislator and the younger son of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, and Dharam Singh Chhokar (Israna).
This addition to the Congress strength will reduce the bargaining powers of the Independents who have all been accommodated in the council of ministers and as chief parliamentary secretaries. At one stage, Bishnoi was being considered for the post of deputy chief minister but now appears to have frittered away that chance.
?We had a few meetings with Bishnoi and asked him to merge with the Congress. But he did not listen and kept hobnobbing with Chautala. We have taken this step in the interest of the people of Haryana so that the state can have a stable government,? Rao Narender Singh said.
Speaker HS Chatha gave his stamp of approval to the split in the HJC legislature party, saying the action of the four MLAs was ?100% legal? as the ?Constitution says that two-third members of a party can split and merge?.
?From today itself, the four are now Congress MLAs and the party strength in the House is now 44,? Chatha said.
Meanwhile, Haryana PCC chief Phool Chand Mullana, speaking to reporters, admitted that infighting cost the Congress ?heavily? in the Assembly elections.
?We lost many seats due to infighting,? said Mullana after chairing a meeting called to analyse the reasons behind the Congress?s below expectation performance.
The Congress, which won 67 seats in the 2005 Assembly elections, won 40 seats this time, six short of a simple majority in the 90-member House.
?The party?s disciplinary action committee will serve show cause notices to those who have worked against the party?, Mullana said.
