Abhay Chautala removed as Haryana House LoP, Congress to get post

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Vidhan Sabha speaker Kanwar Pal Gujjar on Tuesday removed senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala from the post of leader of opposition (LOP). Abhay, who became LOP in November 2014, will lose all privileges including his status equivalent to a cabinet minister.


A letter de-recognizing Abhay was sent to all legislators, MPs, deputy commissioners and other concerned departments on Tuesday. Gujjar later said the decision was taken after two INLD MLAs resigned and the party was left with 15 legislators.

INLD objects to decision to accept two MLAs’ resignation

Two INLD MLAs — Ranbir Singh Gangwa of Nalwa and Kehar Singh Rawat of Hathin — who recently joined the BJP had resigned from their seats before joining the BJP and their resignations have now been accepted, the speaker added.

After the two resignations, the INLD has two MLAs less than the Congress party. However, of these 15, four MLAs are supporting Dushyant Chautala’s JJP and one is supporting BJP.

The speaker confirmed that he would soon write to Congress asking the party’s 17 MLAs to forward name of their leader for the post of leader of opposition.

The INLD has objected to the speaker’s decision to accept the resignations of its two MLAs, who recently defected to the BJP.

INLD national secretary general R S Choudhry said all Gangwa had defected to the BJP on March 22 and Kehar Singh Rawat on March 25, but the speaker had said they had submitted their resignations on March 20.

Choudhry claimed that both the MLAs had acknowledged during their press conferences on March 22 and 25 they had not resigned from the Vidhan Sabha. This, he alleged, was part of a plan to push Haryana back to the days of ‘Aya Ram-Gaya Rams.’ The speaker, however, told PTI: “Gangwa and Rawat had submitted their resignations to my office before they joined the BJP. As there were holidays in between... I accepted their resignations now.”