Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur took a jibe at the ruling Congress and claimed that whatever is happening, is the sole responsibility of the Congress. Criticizing Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu for inviting back the six disqualified Congress MLAs, Thakur said, "There can be no bigger joke than this. Perhaps the CM is unable to understand clearly that what is being said. There is such a situation now that he is fearful that the government is going to go away; MLAs are leaving his side. The political situation in Himachal Pradesh is such that whatever the Congress high command may say, things have not settled yet and there is no possibility of that happening."
Congress workers held a demonstration against six rebel legislators in Dharamshala. The party workers burned the effigies of all the rebel MLAs on Thursday, but the supporters of the rebel MLA from Dharamshala, Sudhir Sharma, came face-to-face with the protestors. Consequently, a squabble broke out between both sides, prompting police to jump in. The cops' intervention pacified both sides. Notably, the Congress observers appointed to address the crisis in Himachal Pradesh recommended maintaining Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu as Chief Minister till the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, sources said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Congress observer DK Shivakumar downplayed the crisis in Himachal, saying that the Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu government will stay and all the MLAs want the Congress government for 5 years, adding that a six-member coordination committee is being set up between the party and the state government so that no political crisis is created in the future.
One of the six Congress disqualified lawmakers said they will appeal against the Speaker's order in the Supreme Court. The disqualified legislators are Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Devinder Kumar Bhutto. Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Thursday disqualified six Congress MLAs, who had cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls, for abstaining from voting on the Budget in the assembly. The six rebel Congress MLAs had abstained from voting on cut motion and finance bill (Budget) in the assembly, defying a party whip to vote in favour of the government. The ruling Congress had sought their disqualification on this ground.
Minister Vikramaditya Singh met six rebel Congress MLAs: Report
Himachal Pradesh's Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Thursday night met the six rebel MLAs whose cross-voting led to a political crisis for the party in Himachal Pradesh, NDTV reported today.
Singh -- the son of six-time former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh -- did not cross-vote but his accusations against the Congress added to the party's troubles. He accused the party of disrespecting the memory of his father. He is in Delhi for two days for discussions at the Union Road and Transport Ministry.
1:43 PM
Himachal LoP criticises CM Sukhu for inviting back disqualified MLAs
Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur took a jibe at the ruling Congress and claimed that whatever is happening is the sole responsibility of the Congress. Thakur said, "There can be no bigger joke than this. Perhaps the CM is unable to understand clearly that what is being said. There is such a situation now that he is fearful that the government is going to go away; MLAs are leaving his side."
1:36 PM
Himachal news: BJP's work is better than Congress, says HP party chief Pratibha Singh
News agency ANI reported that state Congress chief Pratibha Singh today stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party's work is better than that of the grand old party.
"A lot of things remain to be done in Congress. As a MP, I visit my constituency and try to interact with the local people and solve their problems. It is true that the BJP's working is better than ours," the Himachal Pradesh Congress chief told ANI on Friday.
Pratibha Singh further said that she has conveyed her message to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and asked him to strengthen the organisation.
12:04 PM
Himachal Pradesh Updates: We have to face challenges, says Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, "We have to face challenges and we all want the development of the state and the people."
9:15 AM
Himachal Pradesh Congress crisis: Rebel Congress legislator disqualified by Speaker, says will move SC
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Thursday disqualified six Congress MLAs, who had cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls, for abstaining from voting on the Budget in the assembly. One of the disqualified MLAs said they will appeal against the Speaker's order in the Supreme Court.
 "Highlights: Himachal LoP criticises CM for inviting back disqualified MLAs")
