Shimla: Himachal Pradesh leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur along with BJP’s legislative party met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at Raj Bhawan on Wednesday after the cross-voting was reported in the state during the Rajya Sabha Elections 2024 on Tuesday.
#WATCH | Shimla: Himachal Pradesh LoP Jairam Thakur along with BJP’s legislative party met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at Raj Bhawan. pic.twitter.com/ZmnpXI2mxm
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024
After meeting Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Jairam Thakur said, “We have informed the Governor about what happened in the Assembly. In the Assembly, when we demanded division of vote during the financial bill, it was not allowed and the House was adjourned twice. The way Marshals behaved with our MLAs was not right. We have a doubt that the Vidhan Sabha Speaker can suspend BJP MLAs and some MLAs of Congress who voted for BJP in Rajya Sabha elections, can also be suspended. Currently, the Congress government has lost the right to stay in power.”
#WATCH | After meeting Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Himachal Pradesh LoP Jairam Thakur says, “We have informed the Governor about what happened in the Assembly…In the Assembly, when we demanded division of vote during the financial bill, it was not allowed and the House was… pic.twitter.com/5RymuHzEop
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024
He said from the recent political point of view of the developments that have taken place in Himachal Pradesh, it can be said that the state government has lost the moral right to stay in power.
Jairam Thakur Meets Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla
Jairam Thakur who reached Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla this morning said that his party has apprised the Governor of incidents taken place recently in the Assembly.
On being asked about how many Congress legislators are in contact with the BJP, Thakur said, “I cannot tell you this as far now, but I just want to say that Congress has lost mandate.”
In a shocking political development in Himachal Pradesh, the ruling Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost the Rajya Sabha election to the BJP’s Harsh Mahajan despite the Congress enjoying a comfortable majority in the state assembly.
Both candidates secured 34 votes each in the 68-member state assembly. Victory tilted towards Mahajan after a draw of lots was held as a tie-breaker.
The victory is even more detrimental in the wake of former BJP Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur’s claim that the Sukhu government has been reduced to a minority in the house.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi Conceded Defeat
However, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi conceded his defeat and ‘thanked’ the MLAs who cross-voted leading to the victory of Harsh Mahajan.
“I would also like to thank the nine persons (MLAs) because they have taught me a lot about human nature, its fickleness or its resoluteness. They supped with us…So, I think we are bad judges of human character, they are obviously better judges of human character,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had claimed that opposition leaders were obstructing the work of counting officials, and that “5-6 Congress MLAs were taken away in a convoy of the CRPF and Haryana Police.”
Congress Appoints Bhupinder Hooda, DK Shivakumar For Himachal
After Congress nominee for Rajya Sabha polls, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, lost the poll and BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan won the lone seat, the grand old party’s top leadership has now deployed senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and DK Shivakumar to address the crisis in Himachal Pradesh.
Both leaders have been appointed as observers for the ongoing political crises in Himachal Pradesh, a source close to the party said. In order to engage in talks with the six Congress MLAs, who cross-voted during the Rajya Sabha polls, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed Bhupinder Hooda and DK Shivakumar. According to source, the MLAs were disappointed with the working style of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and have also sought his replacement.
