Murder of democracy: Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 27

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today accused the BJP of murdering democracy by trying to destabilise the duly elected Congress government by kidnapping six Congress legislators.

“The Leader of Opposition is threatening and pressurising the polling officers. Six Congress MLAs have been escorted out of Himachal with CRPF security, which is very unfortunate,” said the CM. He said people of Himachal do not appreciate this kind of deceit and the electorate, who voted for these six MLAs on the Congress symbol, will never forgive them.

Sukhu charged the BJP with giving all kinds of allurements to these six legislators, which, he said, the people of Himachal can’t even comprehend. When asked if he would resign, he said there was no threat to the government as the Congress had the numbers in its favour. He added that the family members of these legislators are in touch with them and they could return even though they had voted against the party candidate.

There had been talk of sharp schism within the Congress for the past few months, which manifested in the cross voting by the Congress MLAs. The BJP was banking on this resentment and fielded Harsh Mahajan.

Victorious BJP candidate Mahajan said luck only favoured those who worked hard, hinting at his victory through draw of lots. Mahajan, who rose in the Congress ranks by remaining associated with the NSUI, Youth Congress and then Congress, had defected to the BJP before the 2022 Assembly elections. He hails from a traditional Congress family as his father remained a minister in the Congress regime. He won three Assembly elections from the Congress in 1993, 1998 and 2003 from the Chamba.

“We will consider bringing a no confidence motion against the Sukhu regime,” said Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur.

Singhvi thanks MLAs for back-stabbing

• Hitting out at the MLAs who cross-voted, Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said he would like to thank six Congress MLAs, who despite being with the party till Tuesday morning, voted against him
• “There is a strong message in this election. What has happened had happened, but we must now think of the future,” he said. He thanked the party leadership for fielding him. He congratulated Harsh Mahajan for his victory
• He said some of these MLAs had even signed on my nomination papers

Polling officers threatened

The Leader of Opposition is threatening and pressurising the polling officers conducting the Rajya Sabha election. Six Congress MLAs have been escorted out of Himachal with CRPF security which is very unfortunate. — Sukhvinder Sukhu, Chief Minister

Left on their own

No Congress MLA had been kidnapped and they had left their government on their own. The allegations of kidnapping of MLAs is a Congress propaganda. We will consider bringing a no-confidence motion against the Sukhu regime. — Jai Ram Thakur, leader of opposition

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