BJP seeks Himachal Pradesh governor's intervention, apprehends expulsion of their MLAs from Assembly

Shimla, February 28

A day after six Congress MLAs cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha election, BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday said he apprised Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla of the current political scenario and expressed apprehension that the party legislators might face expulsion from the ongoing Budget  Session that will culminate on Thursday.

He told the media after meeting the governor that the Congress had lost the majority in the House of 68 and the moral right to be in power after six of its legislators cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha poll.

“We have apprehensions that the Speaker might expel all BJP legislators, plus those who voted in favour of the BJP candidate (for the Rajya Sabha poll) from the Assembly. We sought his intervention as the Speaker will go for passing the Budget with voice vote rather than opting for voting on it,” Thakur said.

He said they requested the governor to ensure regulation of parliamentary procedures.

“The Congress is frustrated now…their government is in trouble not because of us but because of their own deeds,” Thakur added.

In a stunning upset a day earlier, six Congress MLAs cross-voted in the lone Rajya Sabha seat. Those who voted in favour of the BJP’s candidate were Sudhir Sharma (Dharamsala) and Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur), both ministerial aspirants; Inder Dutt Lakhanpal (Badsar); Ravi Thakur (Lahaul-Spiti); Chaitnaya Sharma (Gagret); and Devender Bhutto (Kutlehar). The three Independent MLAs, too, voted in favour of the BJP.

It is likely that at least four to five more Congress legislators will vote against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during voting on passing of the Budget on Wednesday as they are miffed over his inability to take the legislators along.