Congress Leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi Loses Rajya Sabha Seat from Himachal Pradesh; Six Congress Legislators Engaged in Cross-Voting

The Rajya Sabha polling took place on Tuesday, February 27, in the Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly, which comprises 68 members.

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In a surprising turn of events, the Congress party faced a significant setback in Himachal Pradesh as Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost the Rajya Sabha election amidst allegations of cross-voting. Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) not having enough MLAs to secure the lone Rajya Sabha seat from the state, its candidate Harsh Mahajan emerged victorious after a coin toss.

The Rajya Sabha polling took place on Tuesday, February 27, in the Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly, which comprises 68 members. With a requirement of 35 MLA votes to secure a Rajya Sabha seat, both parties were in a fierce battle. The Congress boasted 40 MLAs while the BJP held 25 seats. Additionally, the Congress claimed the support of three independent MLAs, bolstering its numbers.

In a surprising twist, however, six Congress legislators reportedly defied the party whip and engaged in cross-voting. Among them were MLAs Rajendra Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Chaitanya Sharma, Indra Dutt Lakhanpal, and Devendra Bhutto. Independent legislators Ashish Sharma, KL Thakur, and Hoshiar Singh also allegedly voted for the BJP candidate, Harsh Mahajan.

The Rajya Sabha election results left both Singhvi and Mahajan tied at 34 votes each. In a rare occurrence, the winner was decided by a lottery toss of a coin, with Mahajan emerging victorious. Despite his defeat, Singhvi extended congratulations to Mahajan, while also urging introspection within his own party.

Singhvi’s post-election remarks hinted at dissatisfaction within the Congress ranks, suggesting that fielding a candidate against a larger opponent signaled a willingness to bend or break established norms. The controversial outcome has sparked discussions and raised questions about political ethics and party loyalty within the state’s political landscape.

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