BJP demands floor test in Himachal at meeting with Governor, Congress firefights

• In a stunning upset for the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP emerged victorious. The BJP’s Harsh Mahajan defeated Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi in a closely contested battle that ended in a tie, with both candidates securing 34 votes each, indicating significant cross-voting within the Congress ranks.
• The victory of the BJP candidate, with the support of six Congress lawmakers and three independents previously backing the government, has left Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on shaky ground. The Congress high-command has dispatched senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and D K Shivakumar to engage with the disgruntled MLAs.
• The six MLAs had left Shimla for Haryana after casting their votes in the Rajya Sabha polls. On Wednesday, the lawmakers, rumoured to be in touch with the BJP, were being brought back to the Himachal capital by chopper.
• The BJP secured a decisive victory in Uttar Pradesh, winning all eight Rajya Sabha seats it contested. The opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) suffered a setback, with one of its three nominees facing defeat due to cross-voting by some legislators.
• Amid concerns over cross-voting and resignations, SP President Akhilesh Yadav warned of strict action for going against the party line. BJP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya claimed Yadav made a mistake by fielding his third candidate, and he did not have the numbers.
• Despite the turmoil, the ruling Congress managed to secure three out of four Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka. Elected members include Ajay Maken, G C Chandrasekhar, and Syed Naseer Hussain, all from the Congress, along with Narayansa K Bhandage of the BJP.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/himachal-pradesh-political-crisis-sukhvinder-sukhu-rajya-sabha-elections-cross-voting-congress-bjp-trust-vote-2507957-2024-02-28