Bharatiya Janata Party (BjP) Legislature Party leaders led by Jairam Thakur met Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla early Wednesday before the assembly meets. They demanded the division of votes for the financial budget in the state assembly. Congress has lost mandate, said Thakur after meeting the Governor.
The development comes hours after six Congress MLAs voted in favour of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh, triggering a political crisis in the state.
Cross-voting triggers crisis in Himachal
The six MLAs had left Shimla for Haryana on Tuesday after casting their votes in the Rajya Sabha polls. They are learnt to be in touch with the BJP, amid signs of a crisis engulfing the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh.
Aiming a damage control, top Congress leadership swung into action to pacify the disgruntled legislators lawmakers.
Congress deploys Hooda, Shivakumar to defuse crisis
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and DK Shivakumar to engage with the six MLAs, who are learnt to be "disappointed" with the working style of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and are seeking his replacement.
The sources said former Haryana chief minister Hooda and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar would reach Shimla early Wednesday to take stock of the situation as the Congress government in the state faces an existential crisis.
Dramatic victory of BJP candidate after tie
In a stunning upset for the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP on Tuesday won the state’s lone Rajya Sabha seat with its candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi and apparently setting the stage for a no-trust motion in the assembly.
The voting was a tie with both the Congress and the BJP candidates getting 34 votes, indicating that at least six Congress MLAs voted against the party. The result was then declared on the basis of a draw of lots, officials said.
(With PTI inputs)
Also read: Congress suffers shock defeat in Himachal Rajya Sabha polls as 6 MLAs cross-vote, BJP wins by draw of lots
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