BJP, Cong question Abhay’s LoP status

etanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

The Assembly on Thursday rang with the demand for voting on Abhay Chautala’s position as the Leader of Opposition following the split in the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).

Health Minister Anil Vij triggered the debate during the Zero Hour by asking a leading question on the split right after the Question Hour concluded. He said he had heard the INLD had split and turned to the Opposition benches where INLD MLAs were seated, looking for an answer from them. He then turned to the Speaker, Kunwar Pal Gujjar, and sought to know if he had received any such information from any of the members of the House.

Naseem Ahmed of the INLD stood up and defended the INLD, stating that the party was united. But INLD MLA Naina Chautala, the mother of Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala who has formed the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), acknowledged that a new party had been formed.

At this, Vij told the Speaker that if a member was admitting on the floor of the House that a new party had been formed, its members should be allocated separate seats. Congress MLA and former Speaker Raghubir Singh Kadian said that since the creation of a new party had been accepted, voting should be held to decide the status of the Leader of Opposition.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and others said the split in the INLD meant Abhay had lost the confidence of the party and did not deserve the position. BJP MLA Aseem Goel seconded this point of view.

The Speaker wriggled out of the situation by stating that action would be initiated only when he received something in writing. All this happened before Abhay reached the House.

Meanwhile, during the discussion on the Governor’s address, Panipat (Rural) MLA Mahipal Dhanda took a dig at the split in the INLD and the party’s miserable performance in the recent MC elections and the Jind Assembly bypoll. Abhay only feebly protested against Dhanda’s “personal remarks”.

Vij started the debate

Health Minister Anil Vij started the debate by stating that the INLD had split and turned to the Opposition benches, looking for an answer 

NUMBER GAME 

Earlier

• INLD MLAs elected in ’14: 19
• Loss of MLAs due to death: 2 

Now 

• MLAs supporting INLD: 13
• MLAs supporting JJP: 4