Chandigarh, Oct 27 (IANS) Haryana chief minister for a second consecutive term Bhupinder Singh Hooda faces his first political test Wednesday when he has to prove the majority of the Congress government on the floor of the assembly.
The Congress leadership in the state expects to clear the majority test in the floor of the house comfortably.

Having emerged as the single largest party in the assembly with 40 seats in the 90-member house, the Congress has mopped up support from all seven independent legislators and the lone Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator.

The Congress needs 46 legislators for a simple majority in the house.

Congress leaders are also engaged in behind-the-scene negotiations with Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), floated by former chief minister Bhajan Lal and his son Kuldeep Bishnoi, to work out an arrangement for a stable government in the state.

“The HJC leaders are all Congressmen. We will welcome them if they support the Congress unconditionally,” Hooda said, elaborating on a similar statement by union minister and Congress in-charge for Haryana, Prithviraj Chavan.

The HJC has six legislators in the assembly, including its president Kuldeep Bishnoi, and could be vital for the Congress in case the independents withdraw support at any stage.

A one-day session of the new assembly has been called Wednesday in which all new members will take oath, the speaker and deputy speaker will be elected and the vote of confidence will be taken up.

Eighty-nine legislators are expected to take oath Wednesday. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president Om Prakash Chautala, who had contested the Uchana Kalan and Ellenabad assembly seats and won both, will take oath from one seat.

Former minister Ajay Singh Yadav, was Monday sworn-in as pro-tem speaker of the assembly for Wednesday’s proceedings.