After quite a few hiccups on Thursday, Bhupinder Singh Hooda will stake claim to Haryana on Friday, with the Congress tenuously crossing the halfway mark in the 90-seat Assembly, with the help of six Independents.
The Congress, with 40 seats, needed the support of five MLAs to touch halfway at 45 seats. (
Assembly elections: Detailed Results)
On counting Thursday, it was Haryana that threw up the surprise with its fractured verdict. After claiming to have the support of Independents by late Thursday night, however, Hooda is now all set to stake claim to form government.
But Om Prakash Chautala, the man who spoilt the Congress party, is crying foul. Chautala's INLD made an amazing comeback, bagging 32 seats and he said on Thursday that he would try and form government.
On Friday Chautala said: "The people gave a mandate against the Congress. The Congress party is simply involved in horse-trading. Now the right thing to do is stop this horse-trading. It has become apparent how the MLAs have been bought and kidnapped. The state should take steps against such happenings."
Hooda, who had apparently expected to sail through after a Congress sweep in the Lok Sabha elections just six months ago, is now battling the disadvantage of an unconvincing mandate. On a day that two other Congress chief ministers seemed to get a thumbs-up from the people, Hooda's lesser show has kept the question of leadership open in the state.
Hooda, however, is still the frontrunner, as the Congress will find it difficult to distance itself from a Jat leader right now.
