Himachal Pradesh: Congress Government on the Brink, Sukhu still Claims Majority after 15 BJP MLAs “Expelled”

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Feb 28: The crisis-ridden Congress triggered by cross-voting by six of its members in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday scrambled to save its government in the hill state on Wednesday as the opposition BJP threatened to pull down the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu ministry claiming that it had lost the majority in the House.

In a bid to save the government and buy time before the trial of strength, the speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania adjourned the budget session of the state Assembly sine die after “expelling” 15 BJP members, including the leader of the opposition and former chief minister Jairam Thakur for slogan shouting and alleged misconduct in the House.

The turmoil in the Assembly followed resignation from the Sukhu ministry of the high-profile minister Vikramaditya Singh, the son of the former six-time chief minister and the tallest Congress leader in the state late Virbhadra Singh, after inflicting severe blows on his own party government and accusing the chief minister of having humiliated him in the past. Claiming that he remained a disciplined soldier of the Congress, Mr Singh told the media in Shimla on Tuesday morning that the fate of the Congress ministry depended on the party high command and he would abide by any instruction issued by the central leadership.

The Congress top brass has rushed former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar to Shimla to parley with members of the party which is facing loss of support and risks losing power in the state. They have been asked to engage with the disgruntled MLAs, including six MLAs, who are learnt to be “disappointed” with the working style of Mr Sukhu and are seeking his replacement.

Sources said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge spoke with former party chief Rahul Gandhi as also general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on the Himachal developments.

Amidst reports that Mr Sukhu during talks with the Congress high command observers has offered to resign to save the Congress government in the state, Mr Sukhu denied of having any such move and keeping a bold face claimed that the Congress still enjoyed the majority and his government would last the full term. In the face of the BJP claiming to have gained a clear majority due to the rebellion by six Congress MLAs and shifting of support by three independents, who earlier supported the Congress government, Mr Sukhu claimed that some of the BJP MLAs besides some of the rebel Congress members were “in touch” with him. The BJP, However, refuted his claims.

“They want to create a break in the party. They want Congress MLAs to leave and join them. But Congress is united…” Mr Sukhu said claiming also that some of his lawmakers who had cross-voted had already reached out, and were trying to return to the fold.

Mr Sukhu, however, said he was ready to submit his resignation if asked by the party high command pointing out that the interest of the party was bigger than any individual. The Speaker took the decision to expel the 15 BJP MLAs just as the budget session of the assembly was about to start. They allegedly shouted slogans inside the chamber of the Speaker.

In the afternoon, the crisis was staved off for now as the Finance Bill was passed by voice vote with no BJP member being present. Mr Pathania then adjourned the House sine die.

Earlier in the morning, Mr Thakur leading a BJP delegation had met the Governor, pointing out that the BJP has urged for the division of votes on the cut motions in the ongoing Budget Session. The meetings come amid a buzz over the BJP bringing a motion of no-confidence in the Assembly against the Congress government in the State.

Amid the political crisis in the state, Mr Sukhu said the “conspiracy” by the BJP to bring down the Congress government in the hill State has “failed.” “The way they conspired to topple power in Himachal Pradesh with the CRPF, the Haryana Police, by sending helicopters has failed. The way they lured some MLAs by buying them has led to some MLAs siding with them. We’ve brought disqualification motion against them (Congress MLAs who voted for BJP candidate in Rajya Sabha polls) and hearing for the same is underway,” Mr Sukhu said speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

The State budget for 2024-25 has been passed in Himachal Pradesh State Assembly through a voice vote in the absence of the opposition. The House has been adjourned sine die.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the BJP, that didn’t stand with the people of Himachal Pradesh when a natural disaster had hit the State, now wants to push it into political turmoil.

“In a democracy, people have the right to choose the government of their choice. The people of Himachal used this right and formed the Congress government with a clear majority. But the BJP wants to crush this right of the people of Himachal by misusing the money power, central agencies and power of the Centre,” Ms Vadra said in a post on X…

The Congress general secretary was one of the main campaigners for her party in the 2022 Assembly polls. She alleged that the way the BJP is using the government security apparatus to dislodge their government is “unprecedented in the history of the country”.

“If a party with 25 MLAs is challenging the majority of 43 MLAs, it clearly means that it is dependent on horse-trading of representatives. This attitude of theirs is unethical and unconstitutional,” she added.

Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh told reporters that the observers would submit their report to the Congress president at the earliest after talking to all the MLAs and find out their grievances. “Our priority is to respect the mandate of the people of Himachal Pradesh and save the government,” he said.

Mr Ramesh said tough decisions would have to be taken and the party will do whatever it takes to save the government. He said accountability will be fixed for the cross voting episode. “The party is above any individual,” he said.

“The Congress party had made promises to the people and we owe the responsibility to fulfil those promises and I would decide my future course of action after consulting my supporters,” Mr Vikramaditya Singh said announcing his resignation.

He said the 2022 Assembly election in the State was fought in the name of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, also his father. “There was no poster, or hoarding or banner which did not carry his picture. There was a full-page ad with his picture in the newspapers a day before voting.” But after victory when the matter of his statue came, the government failed to decide the location. “It is not a political but an emotional thing for a son,” Vikramaditya Singh said.

The Congress had 40 MLAs in the 68-member state Assembly besides the support of three independents before the cross-voting. However, if it has lost the six cross-voters, its count slips to 34 – one seat below majority. The BJP had 25 but could now have as many as 34 too, including the independents making for a dramatic hung house.