Himachal BJP meets Governor, Jairam Thakur says CM Sukhu has lost right to stay in power

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh): Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur on Wednesday said that the state government has lost the 'moral right to stay in power' as a high drama unfolded in the state a day before after the BJP pulled off an upset by defeating the Congress's Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha elections because of cross-voting by six of the party's MLAs.

"From the recent political point of view of the developments that have taken place in Himachal Pradesh, it can be said that the state government has lost the moral right to stay in power..." the BJP leader said.

Jairam Thakur who reached Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla this morning said that his party has apprised the Governor of incidents taken place recently in the Assembly.

"We have informed the Governor about what happened in the Assembly recently...We informed him about the behaviour of the Speaker towards the Opposition MLAs. In the Assembly, when we demanded division of vote during the financial bill, it was not allowed and the House was adjourned twice. After that, the way Marshal behaved with our MLAs was not right. MLAs were attacked by the Marshals. MLAs were injured, this has never happened in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly," Thakur said.

On being asked about how many Congress legislators are in contact with the BJP, Thakur said, "I cannot tell you this as far now, but I just want to say that Congress has lost mandate."

In a shocking political development in Himachal Pradesh, 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 on Tuesday, 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."