Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu Denies Reports Of Resignation, Claims Majority In House

New Delhi: Amid the political turmoil in Himachal Pradesh and reports of his resignation, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday clarified that he has not resigned from the post. Speaking to media, Sukhu said that neither he has resigned nor anyone has asked him to resign. He said that the Congress has a majority in the house and if anyone has a doubt, then voting can be held in the assembly. CM Sukhu put up a brave face amid the political turmoil in the state where six rebel Congress MLAs extended support to the BJP while State Minister Vikramaditya Singh resigned from the cabinet. The Congress leadership swung into action after six of its MLAs voted in favour of the BJP candidate for the lone Rajya Sabha seat of the state. The party is trying to do damage control in the state to keep its flock together. 

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday appointed senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and D K Shivakumar to engage with the six MLAs, who are reportedly “disappointed” with the working style of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and are seeking his replacement. Hooda and Shivakumar would reach Shimla today to take stock of the situation as the Congress government in the state faces an existential crisis.

As per the directions of the Congress high command, I am reaching #HimachalPradesh.
Also there is absolutely no need to indulge in any hearsay, as I am confident that Congress Party legislators will be loyal to the party and stay put with the mandate that has been accorded to… — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) February 28, 2024

DK Shivakumar Confident Of Retaining MLAs 

Meanwhile, Congress observer DK Shivakumar expressed confidence that rebel Congress MLAs will be loyal to the party. Taking to X, DKS also informed that he is on his way to Shimla to salvage the situation.

"As per the directions of the Congress high command, I am reaching #HimachalPradesh. Also there is absolutely no need to indulge in any hearsay, as I am confident that Congress Party legislators will be loyal to the party and stay put with the mandate that has been accorded to them. However, what should be questioned and worrisome is the extremes to which BJP is going in terms of acquiring power, deliberately attempting to crush democracy and public mandate in the process," the Congress observer for Himachal said in his X post.

15 BJP MLAs Suspended

On Wednesday, the Assembly Speaker of Himachal Pradesh, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, suspended 15 MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly creating chaos in his chamber. The suspended MLAs include Jai Ram Thakur, Vipin Parmar, Randhir Sharma, Hans Raj, Vinod Kumar, Janak Raj, Balbir Verma, Lokinder Kumar, Trilok Jamwal, Surinder Shourie, Puran Chand, Dalip Thakur, Inder Singb Gandhi, Ranbir Nikka and Deep Raj.

The suspension came after the State Parliamentary party affairs minister Harshwardhan Chauhan moved a proposal to expel the MLAs from the house. The Assembly session was adjourned till 12 pm as the opposition members protested in the well of the House.

Congress Ministes Resigns Amid Crisis

In a fresh blow to the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, Vikramaditya Singh, a state minister and the son of the former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, resigned from his post on Wednesday. He said, “All I would like to say is that under the current circumstances, it is not correct for me to continue as a part of the government. So, I have decided that I am resigning from the Council of Ministers. I am resigning as a minister.”

The resignation came at a crucial time when the Assembly’s annual Budget session was underway and the state Finance Bill was to be voted on in the Assembly.

BJP Accuses Congress Of Delay Tactics

The BJP, however, claimed that the suspension of its MLAs was a desperate attempt by the Congress to prevent its government from collapsing ahead of the Budget session. BJP’s winning Rajya Sabha candidate Harsh Mahajan said, “Congress Government is toppling. So such attempts are being made - to suspend them. These are delay tactics and are followed in every Vidhan Sabha…Congress has dismantled from here. All the attempts they make now will fail. BJP will form the Government here…Nine MLAs (who cross-voted) are in my support…”