The Congress top brass today rushed senior party leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Bhupendra Baghel and DK Shivakumar to Shimla as it risks losing power in Himachal Pradesh.
They have been asked to speak to the party MLAs – including the six who cross-voted in the favour of the BJP yesterday in the Rajya Sabha polls. The six disgruntled MLAs are learnt to be in touch with the BJP.
Adding to Congress’ woes, party leader Vikramaditya also resigned as the minister today, accusing the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government of disrespecting his late father, Virbhadra Singh.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh hit out at the BJP accusing it of trying to topple the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh. BJP wants to “crush” people’s mandate. “We cannot lose mandate through BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’,” he said.
He said that accountability will be fixed for cross-voting in Rajya Sabha polls. “The Congress will not hesitate to take some tough steps as the party is our priority and will not let the people’s mandate be betrayed in Himachal Pradesh,” Mr Ramesh said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also said that the public has the right to choose the government of their choice. “BJP wants to crush this right of the people of Himachal Pradesh by misusing the money power, power of agencies and power of the Centre,” Ms Gandhi said.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, meanwhile, rubbished talk of his resignation. “Neither (has) anyone asked for my resignation nor have I presented my resignation to anyone. We will prove our majority. We will win…” he said, accusing the BJP of “spreading rumours” to break the party before the budget is tabled.
Sources say the Congress’ priority was to have the budget passed in the Assembly through voice vote today. If the division of votes was allowed – as demanded by the BJP – the Congress government would have failed to get the Budget passed, and it would have automatically proven that it lacks a majority in the House.
The BJP yesterday won the state’s lone Rajya Sabha seat with its candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress’ Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
The Leader of the Opposition and other BJP MLAs this morning met the Himachal Pradesh Governor, seeking a test of strength for the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government in the state Assembly.
“We have pulled off a victory when our chances seemed very low. BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan won the Rajya Sabha elections. Currently, the Congress government has lost the moral right to stay in power,” Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur said after meeting the Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla.
In the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly, the Congress has 40 MLAs while the BJP has 25 legislators. The remaining three seats are held by independents
