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Journalism of Courage
CHANDIGARH, JULY 22: Political stalemate continued to haunt Haryana for the second day today with no party or combination of parties staking claim to form an alternative government after Chief Minister Bansi Lal bowed out of office yesterday.
Neither the Om Prakash Chautala-led Indian National Lok Dal, nor the BJP, which parted ways after sharing power for 38 months with Haryana Vikas Party on June 22, nor the newly formed Haryana Vikas Party (Democratic), breakaway group of the HVP, have so far been able to agree on a `consensus’ leader.
Leaders of the three parties have held a series of meetings, but a solution to the leadership issue has eluded them.
Assembly opposition leader and INLD working president O P Chautala, BJP legislature party leader Ram Bilas Sharma, HVP (D) president Kartar Singh Bhadana and his legislature party leader Karan Singh Dalal and state Congress president Bhupinder Singh Hooda accompanied by legislature party acting leader Kartar Devi called on Governor Mahabir Prasad during the day, it was officially stated here this evening.
These leaders sought time till tomorrow to submit lists showing their respective strength in the Assembly.
Chautala, who himself is an aspirant for the chief ministership, told UNI that he informed the governor that the opposition parties were having confabulations among themselves on the formation of an alternative government.
Informed sources said that HVP (D) leaders were `insisting’ on forming a new government with outside support from other parties.
Bhadana and Dalal had time and again maintained that `we are to seek support and not to extend support to others.’
BJP spokesperson Narendra Modi had said in Delhi yesterday that his party would seek two day’s time from the governor to decide its future course of action. `It is a question of numbers. Before ascertaining the position whether we can muster the support of the requisite number to form an alternative government, how can we extend support to Chautala to form the government?’ Modi had asked reporters.
Sources said the governor was closely watching the situation in the changed political scenario. He had been in touch with constitutional and legal experts before formally intimating the centre on the prevailing political situation in the state.
