Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jairam Thakur asserted on Tuesday that the Congress government led by Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is in a minority in the state.
Jairam 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.”
Voting is currently underway for a high-stakes Rajya Sabha election battle in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, with the BJP expressing confidence in its candidate’s victory in the poll.
As the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections unfold in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, 67 out of the total 68 legislators have cast their votes. However, Sudarshan Singh Babloo, a Congress MLA, has been absent due to illness. Reports indicate that he has been hospitalized.
In Himachal Pradesh, fierce competition is underway for the sole Rajya Sabha seat between Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and the BJP’s Harsh Mahajan. Mahajan, a three-time Congress MLA and former minister, made headlines when he resigned from the party in September 2022 ahead of the Assembly polls, subsequently joining the BJP.
Despite the Congress holding a clear majority with 40 out of 68 MLAs and the support of three independent MLAs, the BJP, with 25 MLAs, has forced a contest by nominating Mahajan against Singhvi. The move adds intrigue to the race despite the numerical advantage of the Congress. In anticipation of the Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress issued a whip to its MLAs on Sunday, directing them to vote for the party’s candidate, Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
Following the whip, all the candidates will have to show the ballot to the authorized 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.
After the complaint was filed, the Congress hit out at BJP State Minister Harsh Wardhan
Chauhan, said that the charges to the poll body were a result of ‘frustration’ in the BJP.
Harsh Wardhan Chauhan, the Himachal Pradesh Minister, alleged that the BJP is planning “horse trading”.
According to sources, the BJP is reportedly considering bringing a no-confidence motion against the Congress-led government in Himachal Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Interestingly, it’s speculated that the Sukhu government may face downfall not due to opposition pressure but rather from within the Congress party itself. This development follows reports of 9 MLAs allegedly cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections, indicating internal discord within the Congress ranks.
Comments