Harsh Mahajan, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has clinched victory in the Rajya Sabha seat contest in Himachal Pradesh, a result believed to be influenced by possible cross-voting from Congress legislators.
“Despite the Congress holding a substantial majority, losing the Rajya Sabha seat is a setback. I extend my congratulations to Harsh Mahajan,” stated BJP leader and former chief minister Jairam Thakur.
Moments before Mahajan’s win was declared, Chief Minister and Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu alleged that five or six of his party’s MLAs were taken to neighboring BJP-ruled Haryana, accompanied by the Central Reserve Police Force.
In a notable matchup, the Congress had nominated its veteran leader and former Union minister Abhishek Manu Singhvi against Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls.
Party sources revealed that six Congress MLAs, along with three other independents, supported Mahajan. With MLAs crossing over to the BJP, the Congress-led government in Himachal Pradesh, formed in 2022, faces potential instability. The party, with a strength of 40 MLAs in the 68-member House, could be at risk of losing power if its members defect. The opposition BJP, with 25 legislators, might exploit the situation by proposing a no-confidence motion against the Congress government.
Earlier, Jairam Thakur hinted at the government’s potential loss of majority. “The Budget will be presented tomorrow. We will discuss it and assess the situation. However, it appears the government has lost its majority,” he remarked.
Reports suggest discontent within the Congress ranks due to the high command’s decision to field Singhvi, an outsider to state politics, as the Rajya Sabha candidate. Sensing internal turmoil, the BJP swiftly nominated Harsh Mahajan, a former Congress stalwart, for the election.
Insiders claim that senior state Congress leaders have urged the high command to address the grievances, indicating that the dissatisfied MLAs could return to the party fold if Sukhu is replaced as chief minister.
