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Himachal Pradesh: In a significant political development, three Independent MLAs and six rebel Congress members in Himachal Pradesh are poised to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today. Sources reveal that this move comes after their support for a BJP candidate in the recent Rajya Sabha elections.
The decision to switch allegiance is rooted in the events surrounding the Rajya Sabha polls, where the rebel Congress MLAs had defied the party whip to vote in favor of the BJP candidate. Consequently, they faced disqualification for their actions.
The trio of Independent MLAs—Ashish Sharma, Hoshiyar Singh, and KL Thakur—had previously sought BJP tickets during the 2022 Assembly polls but contested as Independents after being denied party tickets. However, despite their initial disassociation from the BJP, they extended their support to the ruling Congress post-elections.
However, recent developments, including alleged targeting and false cases against them by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, have prompted the Independent MLAs to resign and announce their intent to join the BJP.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sukhu has expressed disappointment over the resignation of the Independent MLAs, questioning whether financial inducements or coercion played a role in their decision.
The political landscape in Himachal Pradesh is further complicated by the upcoming by-elections to six assembly seats left vacant due to the disqualification of Congress legislators, alongside four Lok Sabha seats in the last phase scheduled for June 1.
With the disqualification of six Congress MLAs, the ruling party’s strength in the 68-member Assembly has diminished to 34, including the speaker, while the BJP holds 25 seats.
