Himachal Pradesh: Congress MLAs Who Cross-Voted In RS Poll Disqualified

Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified the MLAs under anti-defection law for defying the party whip to vote in favour of government on Financial Bill.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 29 February 2024 11:30 am

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress leader Rajeev Shukla during a meeting, in Shimla, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Photo: PTI

The six Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs who cross-voted in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the elections for one Rajya Sabha seat in the state on Tuesday have been disqualified by the assembly speaker. Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified the MLAs under anti-defection law for defying the party whip to vote in favour of government on Financial Bill.

The cross-voting by these six Congress MLAs brought the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Himachal Pradesh government on the brink after the Rajya Sabha election. The disqualified MLAs are Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur and Chetanya Sharma.

With clear indications of a rebellion, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led's government found itself in a political crisis after losing to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the lone Rajya Sabha seat in the state due to cross-voting by these six Congress MLAs and three independents.

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BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan on Tuesday won the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh, defeating ruling Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

These six Congress MLAs, who had left for Haryana's Panchkula after cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election, returned to Shimla on Wednesday amid questions around CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's strength in the state assembly.

Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, who had reserved his verdict on the disqualification of the MLAs on Wednesday, said the legislators attracted the anti-defection law by defying the Congress whip as they were elected on the party's tickets.

"These six MLAs are disqualified and cease to be members of Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly with immediate effect," news agency PTI quoted the Speaker as saying.

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The House passed the Finance Bill by voice vote after Pathania suspended 15 BJP MLAs. The Speaker then adjourned the session sine die.