Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ranjit Chautala on Tuesday skipped a meeting with the Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta who had called him to discuss his resignation as an Independent MLA. The MLA from Rania in Sirsa district had sent his resignation to the Speaker on March 24 and subsequently joined BJP. Currently, Chautala, 78, is contesting Lok Sabha Election on BJP ticket from Hisar Parliamentary Constituency.

Talking to Journalists in Chandigarh, Haryana Assembly Speaker said that Chautala phoned him on Tuesday and requested another date for the meeting as he wouldn’t be able to come due to “personal reasons.” “On April 30, he will have to come to clarify so we can decide (on his resignation). The verification of his signature is also required for which he must appear in person.”

“As Vidhan Sabha Speaker, it is my responsibility that if any member resigns from the Vidhan Sabha, it is for us to verify that the resignation has not been sent under any pressure or compulsion,” Gupta had said earlier.

Last month, after BJP replaced Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini as the Haryana chief minister, Ranjit Chautala again became the power minister in the Saini-led BJP government. Chautala along with former Congress MP Naveen Jindal joined the saffron party on March 24. Jindal was named a candidate for the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat. As an Independent MLA, Ranjit Chautala had extended support to the BJP when it fell short of a majority on its own after the 2019 assembly elections.