Haryana Minister Ranjit Chautala resigns as MLA after being named Hisar LS candidate

Haryana minister Ranjit Singh Chautala, who has been named by the BJP as its candidate from Hisar Lok Sabha seat after he joined the party, has resigned from the membership of the state assembly, officials said on Tuesday.

The independent MLA from Rania seat in Sirsa district has sent his resignation to Haryana Assembly Speaker, they said.

Chautala and industrialist and former Congress MP Naveen Jindal joined the BJP on Sunday and were named as the party's candidates from Hisar and Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seats, respectively.

Recently, former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had also resigned as an MLA from Karnal. Khattar is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Karnal.

As an independent MLA, Chautala had extended support to the BJP when it fell short of majority on its own after the 2019 assembly polls. He was later made power and jails minister.

Earlier this month, in a surprise move, the BJP replaced Khattar with OBC leader Nayab Singh Saini as Haryana chief minister in a swift switch in the state, just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Ranjit Chautala again became the power minister in the Saini-led BJP government