Congress govt in Himachal Pradesh has lost majority, claims BJP after cross-voting in RS polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday (Feb 27) claimed that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh state has lost the majority. The claim was made after reports of cross-voting by at least nine legislators of the ruling party in the Rajya Sabha elections for the lone seat from the state.

BJP leader and former CM of the state Jairam Thakur said, “Budget will be presented tomorrow. We will discuss the Budget tomorrow and then we will see the situation there. But I can see that the government has lost the majority."

State Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu confirmed the cross voting in a press conference held later on.

"...When someone has sold out their honesty...Nine cross-votings took place, three of them were Independent MLAs but six others sold their honesty...and voted against him (Abhishek Manu Singhvi)..." he said.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singvi, who was present in the same press conference, conceded defeat.

Congress won the state in the 2022 elections with a comfortable majority of 40 seats in the 68-member house. The government of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu Sukhu was also backed by three independent MLAs. The BJP, on the other hand, won just 25 seats.

Watch:Will the BJP maintain its seven-seat sweep in Delhi?

Congress party currently governs just two states in the country: Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.

How BJP managed to challenge the grand old party?

The BJP fielded Harsh Mahajan against Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi for the Upper House seat.

Mahajan is a three-time Congress MLA and wasa minister in the state, before joining the BJP in September 2022 ahead of the assembly polls.

Despite claims by the BJP, CM Sukhu had earlier said that he is confident that his party MLAs will votein favour of the party candidate. “We have 40 MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha and unless MLAs are bought off, we will get all the votes," he was quoted as saying.

Rajya Sabha elections

Elections to fill 15 seats of the upper house of the Indian Parliament were held Tuesday in three states: Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. Polling was held for 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, four in Karnataka and one seat in Himachal Pradesh.

In Himachal, 67 out of the total 68 candidates cast their votes in elections as one Congress MLA was hospitalised due to illness.

(With inputs from agencies)