Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, denied on Wednesday that he was leaving his position, claiming he hasn’t submitted his resignation and will demonstrate his majority in the House. In an interview with the media here on Wednesday, Sukhu stated that no one in his party had requested his resignation.
“Neither anyone asked for my resignation nor I have presented my resignation to anyone. We will prove the majority. We will win, the people of Himachal will win…” Sukhu said.
Sukhu further said that he will not get ‘scared’ and expressed his determination that Congress will remain in the power.
“I am not someone who will get scared and I can say this with guarantee, that Congress is going to win when the Budget will be presented. The budget will be passed today. BJP is spreading rumours of my resignation. Congress is united…” he added.
The Himachal CM also claimed that some of the six MLAs who cross voted in yesterday’s Rajya Sabha election for lone seat are in his contact.
“…BJP is spreading rumours of my resignation. They want to create a break in the legislative party. They want Congress MLAs to leave the party and join them. Congress is united…Some of the MLAs who voted for BJP are in our contact…” Sukhu said.
The Congress government in the state faces a crisis after six MLAs crossed sides and are learnt to be in touch with the BJP.
In the 68-member state assembly, the BJP has 25 MLAs and the Congress has 40. Independents occupy the final three seats. The Speaker of the HP Vidhan Sabha adjourned the house and suspended fifteen BJP MLAs for alleged misbehavior. The state budget is awaiting assembly approval, but the BJP is working with Congress rebels to make sure the budget doesn’t pass and is attempting to split the vote.
On Wednesday, DK Shivakumar, the leader of the Congress and an observer for Himachal Pradesh, hurried to Shimla to negotiate with party members as the party is losing support and could potentially lose its majority in the state. In a post on X, Shivakumar expressed his belief that the Congress rebel MLAs will remain “loyal” to the party and hold onto their mandate. “I am traveling to Himachal Pradesh per the directives of the Congress high command,” Shivakumar wrote. Additionally, there is no need to spread rumors because the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister expressed her confidence that Congress Party lawmakers will uphold their party’s platform and remain steadfast in their positions.
He further hit out at the BJP, accusing it of ‘deliberately attempting to crush democracy’.
“However, what should be questioned and worrisome is the extremes to which BJP is going in terms of acquiring power, deliberately attempting to crush democracy and public mandate in the process,” Shivakumar added.
In fresh trouble for the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, Vikramaditya Singh, a state minister and the son of the former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday stepped down from his position.
