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In a dramatic turn of events, the political landscape of Himachal Pradesh is gripped by turmoil as the Congress government faces mounting pressure. Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Jairam Thakur, escalated tensions by demanding a trust vote against the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led administration.
The upheaval reached a crescendo as Thakur, in a pivotal meeting with Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, underscored the need for immediate parliamentary action. Quoting Thakur’s sentiments, “We demanded a division during the cut motion on the financial bill, but it was not allowed. After that, the way the Marshal behaved with all the MLAs was not right. We will raise all these issues with the Governor…”
Fueling the fire, Thakur emphasized the imperative of allowing a division of votes during the Budget, amplifying the BJP’s stance against the incumbent government. “We are demanding one thing: division of votes during the Budget should be allowed,” declared Thakur, refraining from disclosing the exact count of supportive MLAs but affirming the Congress’ loss of mandate.
The Congress party’s woes deepened with the recent Rajya Sabha election defeat, where the BJP’s candidate emerged victorious, dealing a blow to Congress’ Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Shockingly, reports unveiled a fissure within the Congress ranks, as six of its MLAs purportedly engaged in cross-voting, further denting the party’s unity.
Despite Congress’ claims of having the support of independent MLAs, the defection of key legislators underscored internal rifts. Notably, MLAs Rajendra Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Chaitanya Sharma, Indra Dutt Lakhanpal, and Devendra Bhutto reportedly defected, alongside independent legislators Ashish Sharma, KL Thakur, and Hoshiar Singh.
The fierce contest culminated in a nail-biting finish, with both Singhvi and BJP’s Harsh Mahajan securing 34 votes each. Amidst the deadlock, Mahajan clinched victory through a lottery toss, triggering mixed reactions. Singhvi’s gracious concession was coupled with a pointed message: “I would like to tell his party – 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.”
As Himachal Pradesh braces for a seismic political showdown, the fate of the Congress government hangs in the balance, with the BJP’s motion of no-confidence looming large on the horizon.
