In a recent political upheaval in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu faced a major challenge as 15 out of 20 BJP legislators were disqualified on grounds of alleged misbehavior with the speaker. This move temporarily secured the Congress-led government, allowing them to pass the state budget through a voice vote and buy time to address the crisis triggered by cross-voting in the recent Rajya Sabha elections.
CM Sukhu, expressing determination, declared himself a “warrior” ready to fight for his term. The government also took action against six Congress MLAs who defied the party whip in the Rajya Sabha poll by filing a petition under the anti-defection law. The Speaker, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, reserved his decision on the plea, citing their absence during the consideration of the finance bill as a noteworthy point.
The situation escalated as Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda were deputed as observers by AICC. They submitted a report to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. The observers arrived in Shimla, interacted with CM Sukhu and ministers, and individually spoke with the MLAs before calling out the six dissidents. Sukhu, adopting a conciliatory approach, referred to them as “younger brothers” and revealed that one had apologized for betraying the party whip.
The move to suspend the 15 BJP MLAs was adopted by a voice vote, leading to chaos and scuffles between Congress and BJP supporters. The six dissidents, along with three Independent supporters, arrived from Haryana and faced charges of breaching the anti-defection law. They returned to Panchkula without attending proceedings, asserting that 20 others were on their side and they all wanted Sukhu out.
Former CM and leader of the opposition, Jayaram Thakur, had been advocating for a division board vote on the budget estimate. He led a delegation of BJP MLAs to meet the Governor, Shiv Pratap Shukla, expressing their stance against the finance bill. The motion to suspend the 15 BJP MLAs for allegedly disrespecting the speaker was passed by a voice vote. The finance bill was later approved by a voice vote after the last 10 opposition MLAs walked out.
Amidst these developments, Congress refuted speculations about Sonia Gandhi’s decision to opt for the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan being a strategic move due to apprehensions of cross-voting in Himachal Pradesh. Congress spokesman Jairam Rames dismissed the queries as “motivated” and clarified that similar proposals were received from Telangana, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. He emphasized that the high command’s decision was not based on any apprehensions and labeled the questions as baseless.
The cross-voting in Himachal Pradesh led to the defeat of the Congress candidate, Abhishek Singhvi, in the recent Rajya Sabha polls. The persistent questions about the Himachal Pradesh unit suggesting Sonia Gandhi fight the RS polls from the state were countered with the assertion that it was a baseless and distorted interpretation of the high command’s decision.
In summary, the political landscape in Himachal Pradesh witnessed a tumultuous episode with the disqualification of 15 BJP MLAs, providing a temporary respite for the Congress-led government. The situation remains fluid, with observers submitting reports and the political leaders gearing up for further developments in the coming days.
The involvement of observers appointed by the AICC added a layer of strategic intervention. As the dust settles, the question arises: How will this political turmoil impact the stability and governance of Himachal Pradesh in the coming days?
