MLAs fear replacement, seek assurance from Haryana CM

New Delhi: With state elections approaching in Haryana, ruling BJP’s sitting MLAs express concern. Most of the MLAs of the ruling party have been seeking assurance from chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar that they will not be replaced by “new faces” or leaders from other parties, who have joined the saffron party in the past few months.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had formed its first government in Haryana in 2014, has currently 48 MLAs in the state assembly, which has a total strength of 90. The BJP has been upbeat mood in the state as it grabbed all the 10 parliamentary seats in the recently concluded general polls.

While the saffron party has given an ambitious slogan of “Abki baar 75 paar” for the upcoming Assembly polls, sitting member of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are not worried about their opponents or their strategies but the prevalent trend in the party since it came to power at the Centre in 2014, of promoting “new faces” in almost every poll.

Now, the saffron party MLAs want the assurance from the chief minister that the “work” in their respective constituencies will not be overlooked in favour of “new faces” and leaders from other outfits.

For the BJP, not only its performance in the Lok Sabha polls has enthused its cadre, the main opposition Congress has turned into a divided house despite its slogan for the polls — “Abki baar 80 ke paar, BJP baahar.”

The once powerful Chautala family is also feuding and the the Indian National Lok Dal, which was the principle opposition after the 2014 assembly polls, has been split into two since then, with its splinter group keeping its target at “Mission 46.”

In the 90-member Haryana Assembly, the BJP currently has 48 MLAs, while the Congress has 17. The INLD strength has come down to nine as some its MLAs have joined its rival camps, including the BJP.