‘Haven’t quit’: Himachal Chief Minister tamps down Congress revolt talk

Himachal Pradesh minister and Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh has quit following the party’s stunning loss on the lone Rajya Sabha seat to the BJP. Meanwhile, the BJP has sought a floor test after claiming that the Congress government lost its majority.

A defiant Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday rejected speculation that he would step down as Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister as disgruntled Congress legislators threatened a rebellion and the BJP called for a floor test.

“I want to make it clear that I haven’t resigned. The Congress government will complete five years. We are fighters and we will prove our majority,” Sukhu told reporters.

As its troubles deepened, the ruling Congress was dealt another blow by the resignation of powerful minister Vikramaditya Singh. Vikramaditya Singh, son of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, said the party MLAs’ views “were ignored”.

The political drama in the hill state escalated as 15 BJP MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, were expelled from the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday following their demand for a floor test after the ruling Congress lost the lone Rajya Sabha seat in the hill state.

CRISIS IN HIMACHAL PRADESH AFTER RAJYA SABHA POLLS:

• Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Himachal assembly Jairam Thakur, along with party MLAs, met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday. They sought a floor test, claiming that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had lost the mandate to rule. Speaking to reporters after his meeting with the Governor, Jairam Thakur said, “BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan won the Rajya Sabha elections. Currently, the Congress government has lost the moral right to stay in power.”

After stepping down as minister, Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh said the outcome of the Rajya Sabha polls, in which the ruling Congress lost to the BJP, was a result of the system prevailing in the government since its formation last year. He also stated he was dismayed by the party’s slight to his father, the late Virbhadra Singh.

“Someone who was the Chief Minister of the state for 6 times, due to whom this government was formed in the state – they could not find a small space for his statue on Mall Road. This is the respect this government has shown to my late father,” he said.

• Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is taking charge of the crisis in Himachal Pradesh. In a briefing to Congress President Kharge, she discussed the state’s situation. She has been in touch with several MLAs, including Vikramaditya Singh who spoke to her yesterday. Gandhi is actively monitoring the developments and maintaining regular contact with Sukhvinder Sukhu and Rajiv Shukla.
• In a stunning upset for the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP emerged victorious. The BJP’s Harsh Mahajan defeated Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi in a closely contested battle that ended in a tie, with both candidates securing 34 votes each, indicating significant cross-voting within the Congress ranks.
• The victory of the BJP candidate, with the support of six Congress lawmakers and three independents previously backing the government, has left Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on shaky ground. The Congress high-command has dispatched senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and D K Shivakumar to engage with the disgruntled MLAs.
• The six MLAs had left Shimla for Haryana after casting their votes in the Rajya Sabha polls. On Wednesday, the lawmakers, rumoured to be in touch with the BJP, were being brought back to the Himachal capital by chopper.
• The BJP secured a decisive victory in Uttar Pradesh, winning all eight Rajya Sabha seats it contested. The opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) suffered a setback, with one of its three nominees facing defeat due to cross-voting by some legislators.
• Amid concerns over cross-voting and resignations, SP President Akhilesh Yadav warned of strict action for going against the party line. BJP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya claimed Yadav made a mistake by fielding his third candidate, and he did not have the numbers.
• Despite the turmoil, the ruling Congress managed to secure three out of four Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka. Elected members include Ajay Maken, G C Chandrasekhar, and Syed Naseer Hussain, all from the Congress, along with Narayansa K Bhandage of the BJP.Karnataka also witnessed its share of cross-voting chaos – BJP MLA S T Somashekar voted for Ajay Maken, while another legislator abstained.
• The Rajya Sabha polls in three states on Tuesday witnessed a whirlwind of political drama as cross-voting shaped the outcome – solidifying the BJP’s standing ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, and leaving the opposition INDIA bloc in a more precarious position than before.

This article was originally published on India Today.

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