NEW DELHI: Haryana chief minister Hukam Singh Sunday faced a grave threat to his position with a majority of state Janata Dal legislator’s seeking his replacement in a move that had the backing of influential sections of the party high command.
Janata Dal president S R Bommai told newsmen after meeting the dissident MLAs that he had received a memorandum signed by 29 legislators demanding that Hukam Singh seek a fresh vote of confidence within 48 hours. The total strength of the Haryana Janata Dal legislature party is 57.
“I have not reached any conclusion on the memorandum but I will take a decision as early as possible”, Bommai said.
Hectic political activity continued late Sunday night with rival factions preparing themselves for a possible showdown. Earlier in the day, the dissident MLAs met Premier Y P Singh and were told it was the prerogative of the legistors to choose their leader. Sigh also told them that the center did not believe in imposing a chief minister on the legislators.
In a day of fast moving developments, Premier V P Singh met Bommai and also consulted several of his cabinet colleagues including home minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Industry minister Ajit Singh whose residence is the point of convergence of the dissidents, also met Bommai.
Little activity was noticed at the Haryana Bhavan where Hukum Singh is staying. The Haryana chief minister declined to meet visitors on the ground that he was indisposed,
Reacting sharply to the developments which are seen as a fallout of the dismissal of Devi Lal from the union cabinet, Om Prakash Chautala, one of the party general secretaries, asked for disciplinary action against Ajit Singh for “engineering dissensions within the party”.
It will be sad if a midterm poll is held and people like Ajit Singh will be responsible for it,” Chauthala warned.
The dissidents received a shot in the arm with Bommai maintaining that state Janata Dal president Chautala did not have power to expel or suspend any legislator. This was in response to the demand of the dissidents that the expulsion of eight of their colleagues, by Chautala in January and June last, was not in consonance with the Janata Dal constitution.
However, Bommai said he would persue the records and the constitution before taking any decision on the issue.
Bommai also said he would talk to “all concerned and only then take a decision” on the memorandum submitted by 29 MLAs, including the “expelled” legislators.
Meanwhile, the four MLAs have urged Bommai take necessary action against those violating party discipline by encouraging dissensions. “
Article extracted from this publication >> August 10, 1990
