BJP Would Have Assumed Power in Himachal Pradesh if 15 MLAs Were Not Suspended: Jai Ram Thakur

Former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur asserted that if by-elections were conducted for the nine assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would have assumed power both in the state and at the Centre.

Thakur claimed that the suspension of 15 BJP MLAs by the Congress prevented the fall of the government in Himachal Pradesh.

Speaking at an event in Narwana, Dharamshala, Thakur emphasized, “Under PM Modi’s leadership, if by-polls for the nine assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh are held along with the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP will form the government not only at the Centre but also in the state.”

He criticized the delay in accepting the resignations of three independent MLAs by the Assembly speaker. “Despite the resignation submissions by three independent MLAs, the Speaker has not accepted them,” he noted.

Thakur also questioned the failure of Congress leader CM Sukhu to resign after the party’s defeat in the Rajya Sabha election despite having a majority in the assembly. He argued that the suspension of 15 BJP MLAs prevented the government from collapsing.

Alleging frustration among the people with the Congress’s “false promises,” Thakur expressed confidence in BJP’s unity and vigor in campaigning for the upcoming elections.

He assured the leaders who recently joined BJP from Congress that they would be accorded due respect within the party.

Following Congress’s defeat in the Rajya Sabha election despite having a majority in the assembly, Himachal Pradesh witnessed political upheaval. Congress secured 40 MLAs while BJP won 25 in the 68-member state assembly during the 2022 polls.

Elections for the four Lok Sabha seats of Himachal Pradesh and by-polls for the six assembly constituencies, which fell vacant due to the disqualification of six rebel Congress MLAs who subsequently joined BJP, are scheduled for June 1.