NEW DELHI : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said that the Sukhvinder Sukhu Sikhu-led Congress government has lost the majority in Himachal Pradesh, amid reports of cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha elections.
BJP forced the contest by fielding Harsh Mahajan against the Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi for the single seat Himachal Pradesh despite not having enough MLAs to win. Harsh Mahajan is a three-time Congress MLA and former minister who resigned from the party in September 2022 and joined the BJP.
As the polling for the Rajya Sabha elections began, the BJP claimed that nine Congress MLAs voted in its favour. Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur stated that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government is in a minority in the state.
The Congress-led government in Himachal Pradesh is likely to plunge into a political crisis as Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday alleged that six of their party MLAs were “kidnapped” and taken to Haryana accompanied by a convoy of the state’s police and the CRPF.
Sukhu said that the relatives of the legislators are trying to reach out to them. Sukhu’s allegation came hours after the polling for the lone Rajya Sabha seat ended, amid concerns in the ruling Congress over reports of six MLAs cross-voting for the BJP. Sukhu alleged that the BJP is indulging in “hooliganism” which is not good for democracy. “This is murder of democracy,” he said.
According to reports, six Congress MLAs and three independents backing the grand old party cross voted in the elections. Asked he would resign if some Congress MLAs will cross vote, Sukhu said, “We have full majority…wait for the result of (Rajya Sabha poll).” After casting his vote, the Chief Minister earlier today said that the Congress will get all the votes unless legislators are bought off. In Himachal Pradesh Assembly, the Congress has a clear majority with 40 out of the 68 MLAs and the support of three independent MLAs. The opposition BJP has 25 MLAs.
Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has claimed that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has collapsed. According to sources, the BJP is planning to move a no-confidence motion against the Sukhu government on Thursday in the state Assembly, after there were reports that six Congress MLAs and three independents backing the party had voted for the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha election.
In an unexpected turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the political corridors of Himachal Pradesh, reports of cross-voting by nine Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the Congress for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) nominee during the Rajya Sabha elections have emerged. In fact, Chief Minister Sukhu himself stated to media persons that the BJP, with cover provided by Haryana police, had ‘taken away five-six’ of the Congress’ MLAs.
This incident has sparked significant concern within the Congress-led state government, especially with the budget session looming on the horizon. Failure to pass the budget can trigger a political crisis, potentially leading to the downfall of the current government headed by Sukhu, a Congress party stalwart.
This development comes against the backdrop of reported friction between the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Pratibha Singh and Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, laying bare the internal conflicts that have simmered within the state’s political landscape. The cross-voting incident is being viewed as a manifestation of these underlying tensions. Traditionally, a failure to pass the budget is seen as a loss of confidence in the government, potentially leading to its collapse
(With Inputs From HP Bureau).

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