Manohar Lal Khattar resigns as Chief Minister of Haryana

Chandigarh (Haryana): Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has resigned as the state Chief Minister hours after the BJP alliance with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) broke.

The JJP led by Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala had 10 MLAs in the Haryana Assembly.

Manohar Lal Khattar submitted his resignation letter to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya. Visuals showed Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar reaching Haryana Niwas along with a few senior MLAs in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

After leaving Raj Bhavan senior BJP Leader Kanwar Pal Gujjar said "CM and the cabinet ministers have resigned and the Governor has accepted the resignations."

On being asked who will be the next Chief Minister Gujjar said " The CM will continue to be the CM."

The legislative meeting of the party is likely to be held later in the day in which 41 MLAs of the BJP will be present.

Senior BJP leaders including Tarun Chugh, Union Minister Arjun Munda and BJP's Haryana in-charge Biplab Kumar Deb will also attend the meeting.

The BJP leaders are also expected to meet the 5 independent MLAs and Gopal Kanda of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) who are in support of the BJP government in Haryana.

In the 90-member Haryana Assembly, the BJP has 41 MLAs. It also enjoys the support of 5 independent MLAs and the HLP MLA Gopal Kanda.

Earlier, after meeting Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Independent MLA Nayan Pal Rawat on Tuesday claimed that the BJP-JJP alliance was at break point but some independent MLAs who support the ML Khattar government will ensure its survival.

Another independent MLA Dharampal Gonder said that the independent MLAs were already supporting the BJP-led government.

Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) MLA Gopal Kanda claimed that the alliance between the BJP and the JJP was at a break point but the BJP could win all 10 Lok Sabha seats from the state on its own. He also said that there would be another meeting with the Chief Minister after which the future course of action would be determined.

(ANI)