Shimla: Three independent MLAs, who voted in favor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh, submitted their resignations to the Assembly Secretary on Friday. One of the independent MLAs told reporters that they would join the BJP and contest the elections on the party ticket. Three independent MLAs Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur constituency), Hoshiar Singh (Dehra) and K.L. Thakur (Nalagarh) met Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur in Shimla on Friday and subsequently submitted their resignations.
Resigned MLAs will join BJP
Hoshiar Singh told reporters, “We have submitted our resignation.” We will join BJP and contest elections on the party ticket. The three independent MLAs had sought tickets from the BJP during the 2022 assembly elections, but were not given tickets and contested the elections as independents. However, later when Congress formed the government with 40 MLAs, three independents supported the government.
Accused Sukhu government
Independent MLAs alleged that Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu was targeting MLAs and their families and ordering false cases against them. Last month, in the Rajya Sabha elections, six rebel Congress MLAs along with three independent MLAs voted in favor of the BJP candidate.
The rebel Congress MLAs were disqualified for violating the whip by being present in the House during the cut motion and budget and voting in favor of the ruling Congress. The Election Commission had on June 1 announced by-elections on four Lok Sabha seats as well as six assembly seats that fell vacant after the disqualification of Congress MLAs in the last phase.
Met with Governor Shivpratap Shukla
While talking to journalists, Hoshiar Singh said that he had gone to submit his resignation to the Assembly Speaker but he was not available. Singh said that after this he submitted his resignation letter to the Assembly Secretary and later met Governor Shivpratap Shukla and informed him about the developments. Singh said, “Our conscience did not allow any outsider – Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi – to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections and it is our right to vote as per our wish.
He claimed that after the elections the state government has started politics of vengeance. “Under the circumstances, we have decided to resign,” Singh said. We will join BJP and contest elections on BJP ticket under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda and strengthen the country as well as the state.” KL Thakur claimed. That development had stopped in the last 14 months under Congress rule and “we were unable to work for the people.”
CM Sukhu said this
In such a situation, there was no point in continuing as MLA.” Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sukhu said that the independent MLAs should not have resigned and should have respected the mandate. He said that it is a matter of investigation whether money was involved in the entire episode or whether pressure was put on the MLAs. “(He) must have done something wrong, that’s why he resigned,” the Chief Minister said. With the disqualification of six Congress MLAs, the ruling Congress’ strength in the 68-member Assembly has come down from 40 to 34. BJP has 25 members in the House.
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