Himachal Pradesh crisis highlights: Will keep fighting, says CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh highlights: Catch all the news highlights on the crisis surrounding Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's government here

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has dismissed reports that he offered his resignation to the central Congress leadership.

As many as 14 MLAs of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) have been expelled from the Himachal Pradesh Assembly amid the ongoing Rajya Sabha polls row. Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur has also been expelled by the Assembly speaker

Harsh Mahajan, the BJP leader who won the lone Rajya Sabha seat of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, claimed that his party is going to form government in the state soon. "BJP is going to form its government in the state. Some more MLAs of Congress are in touch with us. I got phone calls from some of their MLAs and ministers...The situation is going to change in the next few hours and you will see BJP will form its govt soon...For the next 10-20 years, Congress is not going to come to power here..." Mahajan said.

The Leader of the Opposition and other BJP MLAs on Wednesday morning met Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, a day after the party won the lone Rajya Sabha seat in the state. The meeting comes amid a buzz over the BJP bringing a motion of no-confidence in the assembly against the Congress government in the state. This comes a day after the BJP managed to pull off a victory for its candidate in the lone Rajya Sabha seat. The BJP's victory was due to cross-voting by Congress MLAs. The Congress has 40 lawmakers while the BJP has 25 in the 68-member state assembly, the Budget session of which begins today. The remaining three seats are held by independents.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge appointed senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and D K Shivakumar to engage with the six MLAs,  who voted in favour of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh. The six Congress lawmakers learnt to be "disappointed" with the working style of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and are seeking his replacement. The six MLAs had left Shimla for Haryana yesterday after casting their votes in the Rajya Sabha elections. Media reports suggest they are are in touch with the BJP, amid signs of a crisis engulfing the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh. 
In a shocking debacle for the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP secured the state's lone Rajya Sabha seat with its candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi and setting the stage for a no-trust motion in the assembly.

5:05 PM

Himachal Vidhan Sabha passes budget for 2024-25

The Budget for 2024-25 and related Appropriation Bill was passed in the absence of BJP members as 15 of them were suspended and the remaining ten staged a walk out in protest. The Himachal PRadeh was adjourned a day ahead of schedule as the political scene changed dramatically after defeat of Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi in Rajya Sabha polls.

3:50 PM

News update: Himachal Pradesh Assembly has been adjourned sine die

 

 

2:25 PM

People of HP rejected PM, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Jairam Thakur. Mandate was for Cong: Jairam Ramesh

2:13 PM

Purge the party, says Navjot Sidhu says amid Congress' Himachal quagmire

Congress' Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday ripped into the six MLAs who cross-voted in Tuesday's Rajya Sabha poll - handing the party a defeat in an exercise it should have won with ease. "Himachal fiasco calls for an assessment of assets and liabilities for the Grand Old Party," Sidhu said today. 

The Rajya Sabha debacle has led to a brewing political quandry in Himachal Pradesh. The BJP is demanding that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu should prove his majority in a floor test.

2:02 PM

Himachal Pradesh news update: 6 rebel Cong MLAs return to Shimla from 'undisclosed location'

The six Congress lawmakers, who voted for the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh, and had left Haryana on Wednesday for an undisclosed location, have returned to Shimla. The returnees also included three independent lawmakers, who too had landed here on Tuesdayafter casting their votes in the Rajya Sabha election.All nine of them have reached Shimla now.

1:42 PM

Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu dismisses rumours amid Congress crisis

In an interaction with reporters, Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu dismissed rumours about his resignation amid the brewing crisis in Himachal Pradesh.

1:34 PM

News update: Haven't quit, will keep fighting, says Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu

1:09 PM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu resigns, says TV report

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has reportedly offered his resignation to the central Congress leadership to placate displeased legislators.

 

12:23 PM

Himachal Pradesh news: 6 Cong MLAs, who cross-voted in RS polls, leave Panchkula for undisclosed location

Six Congress lawmakers, who voted for the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh, left Haryana for an undisclosed location. The lawmakers, including Rajinder Rana and Ravi Thakur, spent last night in a hotel here and on Wednesday morning left in a chopper from Tau Devi Lal Stadium in BJP-ruled Haryana's Panchkula, news agency PTI reported citing sources.

11:56 AM

Himachal Pradesh news updates: EX-CM Virbhadra Singh's son quits as minister

State minister Vikramaditya Singh resigned as minister Wednesday morning after accusing Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of ignoring legislators and disrespecting his father and Congress leader late Virbhadra Singh. This comes amid after Congress suffered a shocking upset in the contest for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh.

11:39 AM

Cross-voting begun due to BJP's misuse of money and machinery: Cong leader on HP Rajya Sabha polls

"Ever since the BJP came to power, the misuse of money and machinery...agencies are questioning as if it is their frontal organisation. Due to all this, cross-voting has begun and the switching of parties has started. This is nothing new. It is unfortunate that we could not make a renowned candidate Abhishek Singhvi win the election, we are disheartened. Two of our senior leaders have gone there, I am confident that they will probe the situation and get all the reports on the spot and give it to the high command," Congress MP Pramod Tiwari says.

11:29 AM

Himachal Pradeh crisis: 14 BJP MLAs including LoP Jairam Thakur suspended from Assembly

Amid the ongoing Himachal Pradesh crisis, 14 BJP MLAs have been suspended

11:23 AM

Himachal Pradesh LIVE: Here's what Anurag Thakur had to say on cross-voting

Union Minister Anurag Thakur says, " Congress formed govt in Himachal Pradesh by giving big and fake promises. After the formation of the govt, none of those promises were fulfilled. People used to ask questions when Congress MLAs went to their constituencies...they had no answers to give...no work was done, Congress' own MLAs were facing a lot of difficulties ...why did Congress MLAs abandon their own party within 14 months, what was the compulsion?...one of the reasons is that they gave ticket to a non-Himachali person..."

11:19 AM

Congress' Vikramaditya Singh resigns as a minister in Himachal cabinet

"I am there where I am. In the times to come, I will hold due discussions and deliberations with my people, supporters, and well-wishers. After due discussions, we will take the future course of action," here's what Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh said after his resignation

10:46 AM

Himachal Pradesh news: BJP approaches Governor amid threat of MLAs' 'suspension' from assembly

The Himachal Pradesh unit of BJP on Wednesday asked Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla to intervene amid apprehensions that the Assembly Speaker might suspend its lawmakers or disqualify the Congress legislators who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha poll. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that the Rajya Sabha election on Tuesday made it clear that the Congress government was in minority and demanded Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu resign.