A day before the one-day Assembly session, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had 47 MLAs behind him to prove majority, with the possible support of Kuldeep Bishnoi-led Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC). Hooda will secure vote of confidence on the floor of the House after Governor Jagan Nath Pahadia invited him to form the government on his strength of 40 MLAs, the largest group in the hung Assembly. Pahadia has asked Hooda to prove his majority by October 31.

Ruling out the possibility of merger of his party in the Congress, Bishnoi said: “We are not averse to supporting the government but we will not merge our party.”

The Congress is, however, inclined to get the HJC merged in to ensure greater stability of the government. The Congress is also ready to offer a seat to former CM Bhajan Lal in the Centre and to Bishnoi in the state, possibly the post of Deputy Chief Minister.  

The Hooda Government has packed the one-day Assembly session with loads of business that included the oath taking of all MLAs, Governor’s Address, Trust Motion (debate and voting) and Thanks Motion. Against the normal precedent of the first session of the new House beginning in the afternoon, the Assembly will kickstart in morning.

As the state inched towards the hectic day of session in the Assembly, the INLD held a meeting to discuss strategy to counter the government in the House and the BJP geared up to hit at Hooda for his hurry in calling the session.

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