Congress in doldrums after Himachal fiasco
On Wednesday, Vikramaditya Singh, a minister in Himachal Pradesh, announced his resignation from the position of Public Works Department Minister, exacerbating the serious challenges faced by the Congress party following the loss of its sole Rajya Sabha seat to the BJP due to cross-voting.
This announcement from the Congress lawmaker, who represents Shimla Rural and is the son of the late chief minister Virbhadra Singh, has brought to light deep divisions within the party, which is now struggling to maintain unity to avoid a collapse of its government.
Singh’s decision to resign comes in the wake of six Congress MLAs crossing party lines in the Rajya Sabha elections, leading to the humiliating defeat of the party’s candidate, Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
The instances of cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls and Vikramaditya Singh’s resignation have underscored the discord between factions aligned with CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and state unit chief Pratibha Singh (MP and wife of the late Virbhadra Singh).
In the midst of a significant setback in the Rajya Sabha elections, the Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh, Jairam Thakur, along with the BJP’s legislative party members, met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at the Raj Bhawan today.
“We have briefed the governor about the events in the Assembly,” Thakur informed reporters after the meeting. “Our request for a division of votes during the Financial Bill was denied, and the House was adjourned twice. The conduct of the marshals towards our MLAs was unacceptable.”
Responding to certain media reports suggesting his offer to resign amidst the existential crisis of the Congress government, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu dismissed such claims. Speaking to reporters, Sukhu clarified, “No one has requested my resignation, nor have I tendered it to anyone.”
