Shimla/New Delhi: In a loss of face for the lone Congress government in north India, 9 MLAs, including 6 from the ruling party in Himachal Pradesh and 3 Independents, cross-voted Tuesday to hand BJP’s Harsh Mahajan a stunning win in the Rajya Sabha elections.
What makes the BJP’s win significant is the defeat of Congress high-profile candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi despite the ruling party having a clear majority with 40 members in the 68-member assembly and the support of the three Independent MLAs.
The BJP, meanwhile, has 25 MLAs in the House.
But the balance tilted in Mahajan’s favour as the 9 MLAs cross-voted to boost the BJP numbers to 34 — the same which the Congress mustered as its ranks dwindled.
After votes were tied at 34 each, according to the Election Commission guidelines, a decision was taken through a draw of lots. It is here Mahajan emerged victorious, said sources in the know of developments.
The Congress and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu were confident about Singhvi’s victory as all measures were seemingly in place. Party MLA Sudharshan Babloo was flown in from a private Hoshiarpur hospital in a state helicopter for voting.
Sukhu himself received the MLA and took him to the assembly, an act that was objected by the BJP ahead of the polls.
“Votes have always been polled on ideology, not conscience. Rest we can say only after the results are out. If none (of the MLAs) are sold out, all 40 MLAs will vote for our candidate,” said the CM, who has been claiming to have the support of about 43 members.
A jubilant BJP is now targeting the Sukhu government, claiming that it had lost the majority in the assembly. “The Congress government is bulldozing things now. The way the House was adjourned today, it is clear that they are worried about the majority. The budget will be passed tomorrow. We will devise our strategy accordingly,” former chief minister Jairam Thakur told ThePrint.
As the BJP claimed victory, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Pratibha Singh said that the resentment of some leaders is quite natural and that this was a crisis for the party.
“As far as Rajinder Rana is concerned, he said he had defeated BJP stalwart former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal and he was expecting a post in the government. We still have time and the government should think about those who are unhappy,” she told media
The PCC chief has been raising the issue of discontentment amongst the party workers and leaders regarding not being suitably rewarded for their legwork.
Some Congress leaders were apprehensive about the CM’s claim that he had the support of 43 odd MLAs.
A senior minister had earlier told ThePrint that the BJP top leadership’s agreement to contest the Rajya Sabha elections despite the clear numbers should be taken seriously.
“The BJP decided to field a candidate, that too on the last day of nomination, should not be taken casually. Their candidate (Mahajan) is a leader who has spent over four decades in the Congress and is known for his management skills. The top BJP leadership agreeing on contesting the Rajya Sabha elections despite the clear numbers should be taken seriously,” the minister added.
The BJP had sprang a surprise by fielding three-time MLA (1993, 1998, 2003) and former minister Harsh Mahajan for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from the hill state.
Ahead of the 2022 state election, Mahajan had switched to the BJP after spending four decades in the Congress. He was one of the three HPCC working presidents at that time. Known for his ‘political management’ skills, Mahajan was close to former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.
Initially, the Congress state unit was said to be contemplating offering this seat to Sonia Gandhi. A senior Congress leader told ThePrint that the party’s poll observers sent a feedback that Himachal is not a ‘safe’ seat following which Sonia opted for Rajasthan to enter the Rajya Sabha.
After the RS poll results were out, the chief minister took moral high ground as he faced media queries about the major upset.
“It’s (cross-voting) not in culture of Himachal and how MLAs were influenced to vote. … The BJP has ushered in a new culture in state. We will see when the assembly session commences…Those who have gone (cross-voted) are being asked by their families why they did this. So, if the families are asking them, then maybe a few of them would think about ‘ghar wapasi‘,” Sukhu said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: Himachal RS polls headed for nail-biter? Congress on guard amid dissent, nominee’s outsider tag