A group of 11 MLAs from Himachal Pradesh arrived in BJP-governed Uttarakhand on Saturday amid the ongoing unrest within the Congress party in the state, led by Chief Minister Sikhvinder Singh Sukhu. A bus bearing Haryana’s number plate reached Taj Hotel in Rishikesh today, with the 11 MLAs, comprising six rebel Congress members and three independent MLAs, were seen entering the hotel under high security.
CM Sukhu spoke to the reporters about the current situation in the state of Himachal Pradesh, he said, “Some MLAs are sad. They have been kept under CRPF security. Is this how democracy will remain strong? Horsetrading weakens the democracy.” He added that he learned through social media that the rebel MLAs were taken away from the hotel in Panchkula, and a charter plane departed from Chandigarh airport. “I’m uncertain about their destination. The pressure from their family members to return prompted this move,” stated Sukhu.
After abstaining from voting on the budget and engaging in cross-voting during last month’s Rajya Sabha polls against party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, six Congress members were disqualified by Himachal Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania. Pathania explained that the six MLAs, contesting on the Congress symbol, violated anti-defection laws.
The Congress MLAs Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur, and Chetanya Sharma, along with three independent legislators—Hoshyar Singh, K L Thakur, and Ashish Sharma—voted for BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls.
Upon reaching Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun on Friday, the 11 MLAs then headed to the hotel in Rishikesh. This sequence of events occurred subsequent to Chief Minister Sukhu’s recent trip to Delhi for discussions with the Congress leadership. During this visit, he presented a report on the present political scenario in the state.