Himachal Pradesh Crisis: Following the loss in the Rajya Sabha polls and the victory of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan, the Congress has taken swift action by appointing senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and DK Shivakumar as observers to address the ongoing crisis in Himachal Pradesh.
Mission to Resolve Cross Votes
Bhupinder Hooda and DK Shivakumar have been tasked with engaging in talks with the six Congress MLAs who crossed party lines during the . The disgruntled MLAs, disappointed with the leadership style of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, have reportedly demanded his replacement.
Himachal Pradesh – Leadership Intervention in Shimla
To assess the situation firsthand, former Haryana Chief Minister Hooda and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar are set to arrive in Shimla on Wednesday morning. The Congress government in the state is currently grappling with a challenging scenario.
BJP’s Victory and State Government’s Minority Status
Tuesday’s Rajya Sabha poll results saw both BJP’s Harsh Mahajan and Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi securing 34 votes each, leading to a winner decided through a draw of lots. Harsh Mahajan attributed the BJP’s success to the alleged failure of the Sukhu government and expressed concerns about the state government’s dwindling popularity.
Himachal Pradesh
Congress : 40 MLAs
BJP : 25 MLAsWinner : Harsh Mahajan
Loser : Abhishek Manu SinghviCross voting is allowed. The one introspecting here should be Congress which didn't vote for him. The clown is instead giving gyaan to BJP. pic.twitter.com/v8WBIQaWGx
— BALA (@erbmjha) February 27, 2024
He emphasized that the state government is currently in the minority, claiming that people in the state are dissatisfied with its performance.
Himachal Pradesh – Calls for Chief Minister’s Resignation
In response to the situation, the BJP, along with Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. The political landscape is further complicated by accusations of cross-voting against the MLAs who deviated from party lines.
DK Shivakumar is coming to Himachal Pradesh… All issues will be solved 😎 pic.twitter.com/5kiz5eOn6v
— Aaron Mathew (@AaronMathewINC) February 27, 2024
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Stands Firm
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, addressing the media, accused the cross-voting MLAs of compromising their integrity. Despite facing challenges, he expressed confidence in the party’s ability to maintain a majority in the assembly. Responding to speculations of a No Confidence Motion, Sukhu stated that the assembly floor would be the deciding ground for the majority.
Sixty-seven out of the total 68 legislators participated in the Rajya Sabha election in Shimla, adding to the complexity of the unfolding political scenario.
