Exacerbating the challenges faced by the Congress in Himachal Pradesh following its Rajya Sabha loss, Vikramaditya Singh resigned as a minister this morning, citing Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s disregard for MLAs and disrespect toward his late father, Virbhadra Singh, a towering figure within the Congress in the hill state.
This development unfolds amid a series of dramatic events in Himachal Pradesh over the past 24 hours, transforming what was initially a routine election for a single Rajya Sabha seat into a battle for survival for the Congress government. With 40 MLAs in the 68-member Assembly, the party now finds itself in a precarious position.
Meanwhile, the Speaker in the Himachal Pradesh assembly today expelled 15 BJP MLAs, including Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur, over shouting slogans and alleged misconduct. Ahead of the start of the budget session, Thakur had raised concerns they would be expelled. “We are apprehensive that Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania might suspend the BJP MLAs so that the budget can be passed in the Vidhan Sabha,” Thakur told reporters.
Weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, amid defections to the BJP in different states and cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections to make BJP candidates win despite inadequate numbers, Singh’s latest move is expected to deliver Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh to the BJP.
Singh expressed grave concern over the situation in the hill state. “We need to go into the background and see what led to this situation. I would like to rewind your memory. The 2022 Assembly elections were found and won under the collective leadership of then Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, state Congress chief Pratibha Singh and campaign committee head and current Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. There is no doubt that the polls were fought in the name of former Chief Minister, late Virbhadra Singh. There was no banner or poster that did not have his photo. A day before the polls, a full-page newspaper ad had his photo with the message, ‘Remember me, vote in my name’. This is a matter of record,” he said.
Singh’s mother, Pratibha, then the State Congress Chief, was viewed as a leading contender for the Chief Ministerial position before Sukhu was chosen by the Congress leadership.
Singh also accused Sukhu’s government of disregarding MLAs and their concerns. “For the past year, I have remained silent on the government’s functioning. However, it’s my duty to the people to break that silence now. The title holds no significance for me; what truly matters is my bond with the people of Himachal Pradesh, founded on trust,” Singh claimed.
Singh criticised the Congress government’s way of operations and financial mismanagement. “These issues were repeatedly brought to the attention of the party high command, but unfortunately, the response was inadequate,” he lamented.
Singh pointed out the overwhelming support of the state’s youth for the Congress. “But can we truly fulfill the promises made to them?”
The Congress, which held a comfortable majority until yesterday, now finds itself in turmoil following the defection of six MLAs who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha election. These rebel MLAs were reportedly transported to Haryana yesterday, prompting the BJP to assert that the ruling party has lost the majority. However, they returned to Shimla ahead of the budget session amid a buzz that the BJP will move a no-confidence motion in the Assembly today.
The cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election snatched the victory from Congress nominee and seasoned lawyer Abhishek Singhvi and handed it to BJP’s Harsh Mahajan, following a deadlock and subsequent draw of lots.
In a bid to mitigate the damage, the Congress has dispatched senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and DK Shivakumar to Himachal Pradesh.