Himachal Pradesh: Three independents may join the BJP, alarming the Congress administration
The resignation of three independent MLAs who backed the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections has put the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Himachal Pradesh government in jeopardy. In the 62-member legislature, it still has the majority, nonetheless.
The disqualification of six Congress MLAs reduced the governing Congress’s strength in the 68-member Assembly, where the majority mark is 35, from 40 to 34, including the speaker. 25 people make up the BJP.
In the presence of former chief minister and opposition leader Jai Ram Thakur, the three lawmakers—Hoshiyar Singh of Dehra, KL Thakur of Nalagarh, and Ashish Sharma of Hamirpur—tendered their resignations to Vidhan Sabha Secretary Yashpal Sharma. In addition to the six by-elections that have already been declared, their resignation would allow for three further by-elections in the seats of the disqualified Congress MLAs.
Sukhu Sukhvinder Singh
Congress divide in Himachal Pradesh is still ongoing since Pratibha Singh is not a candidate.
All nine MLAs—six dismissed by the Congress and three independent lawmakers—are said to have met with JP Nadda, the head of the BJP, according to sources. There are rumors that the six Congress MLAs who have been disqualified may soon join the BJP.
Subsequently, outside the state legislature, Ashish Sharma said that Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the chief minister, had initiated a vendetta against them since their family members had been falsely accused. “Our tickets will be decided by leadership, and we will not hesitate to join the BJP as soon as we join the saffron party,” he said.
“Without any external pressure, we made the choice in the best interests of the state. The three MLAs have trust in the BJP and in PM Narendra Modi’s leadership, according to MLA KL Thakur, who also said that the decision was not driven by any personal reasons. The three independent legislators visited the state governor at the Raj Bhawan after their resignations. The three independent lawmakers were camped out in Delhi after voting for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections.
