Himachal Pradesh politics: Himachal Pradesh Min Vikramaditya Singh steps down; says MLAs were made to stifle their voices

Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Wednesday stepped down from his position, a day after the Rajya Sabha election result in the state.

“The (state) government failed to find even a small piece of land on Mall Road to install the statue of a person (Virbhadra Singh) who was the CM of Himachal Pradesh six times, because of whom this government was formed,” he said.

He said, “All I would like to say is that under the current circumstances, it is not correct for me to continue as a part of the government. So, I have decided that I am resigning from the Council of Ministers. I am resigning as a minister. In the time to come, I will have video consultations with my people and then decide about the future course of action…””For me, the most important thing is the relationship with the people of Himachal Pradesh,” he added.

“But the kind of system prevailing in the government in last one year, how MLAs were overlooked and attempts were made to stifle their voices – this is a result of that,” he said.

In a shocking political development in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, the ruling Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost the Rajya Sabha election to the BJP’s Harsh Mahajan despite the Congress enjoying a comfortable majority in the state assembly.Both candidates secured 34 votes each in the 68-member state assembly.Victory tilted towards Mahajan after a draw of lots was held as a tie-breaker.

The victory is even more detrimental in the wake of former BJP Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur’s claim that the Sukhu government has been reduced to a minority in the house.

However, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi conceded his defeat and ‘thanked’ the MLAs who cross-voted leading to the victory of Harsh Mahajan.

“I would also like to thank the nine persons (MLAs) because they have taught me a lot about human nature, its fickleness or its resoluteness. They supped with us. So, I think we are bad judges of human character, they are obviously better judges of human character,” he said.

Earlier, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had claimed that opposition leaders were obstructing the work of counting officials, and that “5-6 Congress MLAs were taken away in a convoy of the CRPF and Haryana Police.

“I have clearly said that I have briefed the party high command regarding the actual situation. Now the ball is in the court of the party high command, they have to decide what the future course of action will be. But I have been very clear and very categorical in what I had to say. It has been said in very clear terms…Whatever has to happen in the time to come will be done with the party high command in due discussions and deliberations. I am sure that whatever decision will be taken, it will be taken in the larger interest of the organisation, of the party, and the people of this state,” said Vikramaditya.

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