Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has called six rebel party MLAs as 'black serpants' who cross-voted against the party in the Rajya Sabha elections and abstained from voting on budget which had welfare schemes for the poor. The CM said in political life, people who betray their party which gave them a chance to contest elections are called 'black snakes'.
At a public rally at Dharampur in Solan district, Sukhu slammed the rebels calling them “six black snakes” (kale naag) who tried to destabilise the party. "How can people who sell their honour for money serve people of their constituencies," he said.
Congress is facing yet another government crisis, this time in Himachal Pradesh, after its MLAs cross-voted in Rajya Sabha polls and a key leader Vikramaditya Singh tendered his resignation.
Though after Sukhu calling Vikramaditya Singh as his 'younger brother' and initiated talks with the leader, the latter has softened his stand over his resignation saying he won't press on it for now as Congress observers tried to resolve the situation.
Sukhu has also given a go-ahead to Vikramaditya Singh to meet the rebels who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls, in what appeared to be a placatory gesture even as he called the same six MLAs “black serpents”.
Vikramaditya Singh, who is the son of the party’s state unit president Pratibha Singh, was also scheduled to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi as the crisis in the Himachal Congress simmered.
In another possible move to pacify the disgruntled section in the party’s state unit, Sukhu appointed Rampur MLA Nand Lal chairman of 7th State Finance Commission with the status of a cabinet minister.
The MLA picked for the post is considered close to Vikramaditya Singh and Pratibha Singh. She reiterated Friday her grouse that party workers were ignored by Sukhu after the Congress came to power in the state over a year back.
Himachal govt crisis after six Congress MLAs cross voted in Rajya Sabha polls
Six Congress MLAs triggered the Himachal crisis this week when they voted for BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha election for the lone seat from the state.
The MLAs voting for the Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi failed to make it past the half-way mark in 68-member House.
Later, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified the six from the assembly after the Congress complained that they had kept away from voting on the state budget despite a party whip. Fifteen BJP MLAs were suspended over a ruckus in the House.
With inputs from PTI
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