Congress puts Himachal house in order as top minister, MLAs revolt: Top points

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The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has managed to contain the political crisis that arose after the cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election and the resignation announcement of a minister. The Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government passed the budget on Wednesday, and Minister Vikramaditya Singh stated that he will not press for resignation until talks with leaders conclude, giving a breather to the Congress.

HIMACHAL POLITICAL CRISIS | LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh, who had stepped down as a minister, on Wednesday evening said that he wouldn’t press his resignation until a dialogue with party leaders was not completed. He, after meeting party central observers, claimed that the government was never in crisis.
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly speaker, meanwhile, reserved his order on the Congress’s demand to disqualify the six MLAs from the assembly, whose cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election triggered turbulence in the state.
Chief Minister Sukhu dismissed speculation that he was resigning. He said, “Neither the high command, nor anyone else has asked me for resignation” and added that the Congress government will complete its five-year term in the state.
Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Wednesday expelled 15 BJP MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, for ‘misconduct’ and allegedly shouting slogans in the Chamber of the Speaker.
Three Congress central observers, including senior leader Bhupinder S Hooda, held discussions with senior leaders and MLAs on Wednesday night. Speaking to reporters after the meetings, Hooda said, “We have talked with all the leaders,” without elaborating further.
On Tuesday, Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi was defeated by BJP’s Harsh Mahajan through a draw of lots, after the two candidates bagged 34 votes each in the fight for the lone Rajya Sabha seat.
A BJP delegation led by the Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur went to Raj Bhavan on Wednesday morning asking Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla to ensure that the Finance Bill was passed only through voting.
The Congress leadership in Delhi has despatched three observers — Bhupesh Baghel, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and D K Shivakumar — to Shimla to manage the cirisi. The party had indicated that it could take some “tough steps”.