Shimla (Himachal Pradesh): Amid mega political turmoil in the state of Himachal Pradesh, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur shrugged his shoulders about the current state of affairs and claimed that whatever is happening, is the sole responsibility of the Congress. Mocking Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu for inviting back the six disqualified Congress MLAs, Thakur said, "There can be no bigger joke than this. Perhaps the CM is unable to understand clearly that what is being said".
"There is such a situation now that he is fearful that the government is going to go away; MLAs are leaving his side. The political situation in Himachal Pradesh is such that whatever the Congress high command may say, things have not settled yet and there is no possibility of that happening."
When asked if they will bring a No Confidence Motion against the state government, Thakur dismissed the idea, emphasizing that the internal strife and political developments were solely the responsibility of the ruling party. He remarked, "Mere hisab se sarkar rahegi toh chalegi nahi" (According to me, the government will not survive).
Thakur highlighted that the ruling party's actions have created a situation casting doubt on the government's continuation. Asserting the Opposition's stance, Thakur clarified that they are merely observers of the unfolding events and not instigating any action. "We are sitting here, we are not doing anything. Whatever is happening - it is happening amongst them. We are alert regarding the political developments taking place. But the unethical and wrong methods that have been adopted to save the government - suspension of BJP MLAs, disqualification of 6 Congress MLAs - and a few hasty decisions that have been taken have affected the image of the CM across the state. He should understand this," the minister said.
Jairam Thakur's confidence is borne out by the deep divisions in the Congress. State Congress president Pratibha Singh has not given any assurance that the party will complete its term under CM Sukhu. When asked about Congress Observers' statement that CM Sukhu will continue for 5 years, Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh says, "Observer ke bolne se kya hota hai? Observers want this to happen. It is difficult to say what people want and what will happen."
Notably, after the 2022 Assembly elections, the Congress had 40 MLAs, while the BJP had 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents. With the six rebel MLAs disqualified, the strength of the House has come down from 68 to 62, and the halfway mark is now 32.
With the loss of six MLAs, the Congress now has 34 MLAs and the BJP, with independents, has 28. The fortunes of the Congress will now rest on its ability to keep the rest of its flock together. The political crisis in the state was triggered by the Congress losing the Rajya Sabha election on Tuesday despite having a clear majority in the assembly.
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