BJP demands floor test in Himachal at meeting with Governor, Congress firefights
A day after clinching a victory in the Rajya Sabha polls, BJP MLAs met the Himachal Pradesh Governor seeking a floor test for the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government in the state assembly.
The outcome of the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh has left the Sukhvinder Sukhu government on shaky ground. (PTI)
The BJP has sought a floor test in Himachal Pradesh after the ruling Congress lost the lone Rajya Sabha seat in the hill state and contends with a possible rebellion from its legislators following the biennial elections to the Upper House.
As intense political manoeuvring got underway in Himachal Pradesh, senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Jairam Thakur, along with party MLAs, met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday.
Sources said that the BJP demanded a floor test in the Himachal assembly, claiming that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu had lost the mandate to rule.
CRISIS IN HIMACHAL PRADESH AFTER RAJYA SABHA POLLS:
Speaking to reporters after his meeting with the Governor, Jairam Thakur said, “BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan won the Rajya Sabha elections. Currently, the Congress government has lost the moral right to stay in power.”
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.
