CHANDIGARH: Amid cross-voting for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh, BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan was declared elected to the upper house from the hill state on Tuesday after a draw of lots as both he and Congress candidate Abhishek Singhvi polled 34 votes each. The Sukhu-led Congress government is in a crisis now, as the saffron party claimed that it is in a minority. The state budget has to be passed on February 29 (Thursday) and if the government fails to do so, it loses legitimacy.
Of the 40 MLAs of the ruling Congress, six legislators cross-voted resulting in the defeat of party candidate Singhvi as he polled 34 votes. The BJP candidate Mahajan, who was earlier in the Congress, also polled 34 votes including 25 BJP MLAs, six from the Congress and three independents. All the nine MLAs who cross-voted then went to Panchkaula in Haryana from Shimla, stayed at the government guest house for 45 minutes and after that shifted to a five star private hotel.
After losing the Rajya Sabha seat, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, "They had dinner and breakfast with us and were swearing loyalty to us till morning and promised that they are with the party."
Sukhu added, "This was not there in the culture of Himachal ever. If one is elected from a party at times there is discontent. They sold their integrity, what can I say beyond this."
Meanwhile, Singhvi said, "I would also like to thank the nine MLAs because they have taught me a lot about human nature, its fickleness or its resoluteness. They supped with us. So, I think we are bad judges of human character, they are obviously better judges of human character. First of all, I extend heartiest congratulations to Harsh Mahajan he has won. I would like to tell his party to introspect and think. When a 25-member party fields a candidate against a 43-member party, there is just one message we will shamelessly do that which is not permitted by the law."
Earlier in the day Sukhu said, "Some Congress MLAs who had cross-voted had been taken away by the BJP. The manner in which the counting has begun and Opposition leaders are threatening the polling officers again and again is not right for democracy. The CRPF and Haryana Police convoy have taken away six MLAs."
Leader of the Opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur demanded the resignation of CM Sukhu, saying the MLAs had left him within a year. "Despite having such a huge majority, the Congress lost the Rajya Sabha seat," he noted.
When asked if the BJP would demand a floor test, Thakur claimed that the Sukhu-led Congress government is in a minority in the state. He said, "The budget will be presented tomorrow. We will discuss the budget and then we will see the situation there. But I can see that the government has lost the majority."
Himachal Pradesh Congress President and Mandi MP Pratibha Singh accused the BJP of horse-trading but said that some of the Congress MLAs were unhappy with the government.
When Babloo, a Congress MLA who was unwell, was brought to the assembly in a helicopter, Thakur alleged that the chief minister's helicopter was sent to bring him, which is a violation of the model code of conduct and demanded that his vote should not be counted.
Earlier on Sunday, the Congress issued a whip to its MLAs to vote for party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Thus all the MLAs had to show the ballot to the authorised agent, who can declare a vote invalid if any legislator refuses to show the ballot. Then on Monday, the BJP nominee complained to the Chief Election Commissioner, saying that the Congress has issued a three-line whip to its MLAs for the polls, which he said was unethical.
A former minister and three-time Congress MLA, Mahajan had resigned from the grand old party in September 2022 and joined the BJP ahead of the assembly elections.
Earlier, two senior Congress MLAs Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur) and working president of state party and Sudhir Sharma (Dharamshala) had stayed away from a key meeting, saying that those who have got the cabinet rank without contesting the polls were dominating the elected MLAs.
