Haryana Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala resigns

Chandigarh, March 23 (IANS) Haryana's Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala has resigned as the Leader of Opposition from the state Assembly.The announcement was made here on Saturday.The resignation came after his party Legislator Ranbir Singh Gangwa joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday.The INLD has 16 Legislators in the BJP-ruled state, while the Congress has 17.Chautala told reporters that he would write to the speaker of the Assembly to disqualify Gangwa and four legislators -- Naina Chautala, Anoop Dhanak, Pirthi Nambardar and Randeep Phogat -- who had joined the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), a breakaway faction of the INLD.He said he would also write to the Lok Sabha speaker for the disqualification of Dushyant Chautala, who is an MP from Hisar.Dushyant, the great-grandson of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, formed the JJP after infighting in the Chautala family which led to a split in the INLD.
--IANS vg/pg/bg