Amid speculations about cross-voting in Rajya Sabha elections for the lone seat from Himachal Pradesh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former CM Jai Ram Thakur claimed that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government has lost the majority and demanded his resignation.
Thakur said, “The budget will be presented tomorrow. We will discuss the budget tomorrow and then we will see the situation there. But I can see that the government has lost the majority.” He also said Congress was trying to influence the polls.
Meanwhile, sources said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might bring a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government in the state if its candidate wins.
According to reports, if the Congress candidate loses, it can be inferred that at least nine MLAs cross-voted. In such a situation, if the BJP candidate wins, the party will bring a no-confidence motion against the Congress government.
67 out of the total 68 legislators have exercised their votes in the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Sudarshan Singh Babloo, Congress MLA, has not come so far due to illness. He was hospitalised. Congress currently has 40 seats and three independents also supported the party and participated in the Congress Legislature Party meeting held on Monday.
Close competition between Congress, BJP
There is fierce competition in Himachal Pradesh for the sole Rajya Sabha seat between Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and the BJP’s Harsh Mahajan, who was close to late former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. Mahajan, who joined the party in 2022, had been a three-time MLA from Congress and hailed from Chamba.
The former minister has also been the speaker of the assembly. After the voting ended, the BJP candidate said that some Congress MLAs were unhappy and angry.
Though Congress has a clear majority with 40 out of 68 MLAs and the support of three independent MLAs. Even though the BJP, with 25 MLAs, is far behind in the number game, it has forced a contest by fielding Mahajan against Singhvi.
Earlier on Sunday, the Congress issued a whip to its MLAs to vote for party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
Following the whip, all the candidates will have to show the ballot to the authorised agent, who can declare a vote invalid if any MLA refuses to show the ballot.
On Monday, the BJP nominee complained to the Chief Election Commissioner, saying that the Congress has issued a three-line whip to its MLAs for the polls, which he said was unethical.
“Such a whip is not only unethical but also against the conducting of elections to the Rajya Sabha as it will affect the decision-making ability of the MLAs,” Harsh Mahajan said in his complaint.
After the complaint was filed, the Congress hit out at BJP State Minister Harsh Wardhan Chauhan, who said that the charges to the poll body were a result of ‘frustration’ in the BJP.
What CM Sukhu said
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, “We have 40 MLAs, if no one leaves, we will get the 40 votes. I believe those elected on the ideology of Congress must have voted in support of the party.”
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