In a significant political move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen to field all six disqualified Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who defected from the Congress party to join its ranks. The decision was made apparent during the Himachal Pradesh assembly bypolls.
The six former Congress legislators, alongside three Independents who also vacated their seats, formally joined the BJP in New Delhi, marking a notable shift in the state’s political landscape. This move comes after the disqualification of the MLAs, including Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma, and Devinder Kumar Bhutto, for disregarding the Congress party’s directives during a crucial voting session in the assembly.
Their induction into the BJP fold was conducted in the presence of prominent party figures, including Union Minister Anurag Thakur, former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, National General Secretary Arun Singh, and State Unit President Rajeev Bindal.
The defection of these lawmakers is being attributed to several factors, notably the BJP’s emphasis on development initiatives spearheaded by the Central government, such as infrastructure projects encompassing highways and railways. BJP leaders underscored the commitment of the former Congress MLAs to bolstering Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, further reinforcing their alignment with the ruling party.
Former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur hailed the entry of the six ex-Congress MLAs into the BJP as a significant political development, particularly for a state of Himachal Pradesh’s scale. Notably, many of these leaders held influential positions within the Congress party before their defection.
The strategic move by the BJP comes amid a backdrop of political turbulence, with the Congress government facing challenges following the BJP’s victory in the recent Rajya Sabha election for the state’s sole seat. The support of nine MLAs, including the defectors, facilitated the BJP’s win, injecting uncertainty into the stability of the incumbent Congress government led by Chief Minister Sukhu.
With the disqualification of the six Congress MLAs, the ruling party’s strength in the assembly diminished from 39 to 33, out of the total 62-member assembly. This loss of numbers, coupled with the resignations of three Independent MLAs, further complicates the political arithmetic for the Congress government.
As the bypolls approach, the BJP’s strategy appears geared towards leveraging its newfound advantage to secure victories and potentially destabilize the Congress government. The evolving political landscape in Himachal Pradesh underscores the dynamic nature of state politics, with implications reaching beyond regional boundaries.
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