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Amidst a deepening political crisis in Himachal Pradesh, eleven MLAs, including six Congress rebels and three independents, have sought refuge in a resort in Uttarakhand, governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress legislators, escorted by two BJP MLAs from Himachal Pradesh, arrived at Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun and proceeded to the Singtali resort near Rishikesh, accompanied by heightened security. This development unfolded two days after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was summoned by the Congress high command.
The Congress MLAs currently camping in the resort include Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur), Sudhir Sharma (Dharamshala), Indradutt Lakhanpal (Barsar), Ravi Thakur (Lahaul-Spiti), Chaitanya Sharma (Gagret), and Devendra Bhutto (Kutlehar). The independent MLAs are Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur), Hoshiyar Singh (Dehra), and KL Thakur (Nalagarh).
The political turmoil stems from the events of last month when six rebels and three independents voted in favor of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections, causing a setback for Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Despite Congress having a majority, BJP’s Harsh Mahajan emerged victorious. Subsequently, the six MLAs faced disqualification, leading them to approach the Supreme Court against the Speaker’s decision.
After the 2022 Assembly elections, Congress had 40 MLAs, BJP had 25 in the 68-member state assembly, and the remaining three seats were held by independents.
A source within the BJP revealed that the eleven MLAs flew from Chandigarh to Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun in a chartered plane, settling in a resort near Rishikesh. This group includes six Congress MLAs, three independents, and two BJP MLAs – Bikram Singh Thakur from Jaswan-Paragpur and Rakesh Jamwal from Sundernagar. Their stay in Rishikesh is expected until the Supreme Court hears the decision regarding their disqualification, adding to the heightened political tension.
In response, Uttarakhand BJP state media in-charge, Manveer Singh Chauhan, claimed ignorance about the presence of Himachal Congress MLAs in Uttarakhand, describing it as an internal matter.
Condemning the situation, the state unit of the Congress labeled the BJP’s actions as a “constitutional sin.” Shanti Prasad Bhatt, state Congress spokesperson, raised questions about the expenses incurred for air services, luxurious hotels, and security arrangements for the rebel MLAs, highlighting the BJP’s alleged interference in the matter.
Bikram Singh Thakur, a BJP MLA, asserted that the group sought security due to concerns about potential actions by the Congress. He clarified that their presence in Uttarakhand was not at the expense of Congress or the state government.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed his concern over the MLAs’ security, questioning the democracy’s strength when CRPF security was deployed. He learned about the MLAs being removed from a hotel in Panchkula through social media, emphasizing the detrimental impact of horse-trading on democracy. Sukhu claimed that none of the MLAs were in touch with him, highlighting the complex and evolving political landscape in Himachal Pradesh.
