On February 29, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, the Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, disqualified six rebel Congress MLAs who had cross-voted during the Rajya Sabha elections, resulting in their expulsion from the assembly.
Following this decision, the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh managed to avert a potential crisis after the defection of six of its MLAs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the Rajya Sabha polls on February 27.
With the disqualification, the assembly’s strength reduced to 62 members, leaving the Congress with 34 MLAs, just two above the majority mark of 32. Additionally, three independent MLAs who had previously supported the Congress also crossed over to the BJP during the Rajya Sabha elections.
The BJP had initially demanded a trust vote, claiming that the Congress had lost its majority following the defections. However, the Congress government successfully passed the budget despite the absence of 25 BJP MLAs, 15 of whom were suspended.
Rajeev Bindal, the BJP’s Himachal Pradesh president, indicated that the party would evaluate the situation and make decisions accordingly, emphasizing the moral implications of the Congress’s loss in the Rajya Sabha elections.
The disqualification order is subject to judicial scrutiny, and it remains to be seen whether the disqualified MLAs will challenge the decision in court.
Pathania justified the disqualifications as a measure to prevent political defections, commonly referred to as ‘aya Ram gaya Ram’ politics.
As Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s future remains uncertain, Congress observers, including DK Shivakumar, Bhupesh Baghel, and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, are assessing the situation. The Congress may allow Sukhu to continue as Chief Minister until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to avoid further internal strife.
Pratibha Singh, the president of Himachal Pradesh Congress, expressed concern over the disqualifications, highlighting their potential impact on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and emphasizing the need for dialogue to address internal party issues.
