Congress' Himachal crisis worsens as MLA Vikramaditya Singh resigns as minister

Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh resigned as a minister in the Himachal Pradesh cabinet Wednesday as the crisis for the grand old party deepens in the hilly state.

While announcing his resignation, Singh alleged that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s government “humiliated its own MLAs several times,” adding that now it’s up to the party’s high command where the Congress is headed in Himachal Pradesh.

“All I would like to say is that under the current circumstances, it is not correct for me to continue as a part of the government. So, I have decided that I am resigning from the Council of Ministers. I am resigning as a minister. In the time to come, I will have video consultations with my people and then decide about the future course of action,” Singh said.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh steps down from his position, a day after the Rajya Sabha election result in the state.

He says, "All I would like to say is that under the current circumstances, it is not correct for me to continue as a part of the… pic.twitter.com/VNp0nuSfnR

— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

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The political situation in the Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh turned unstable after the declaration of the Rajya Sabha poll which revealed that both the BJP and Congress bagged 34 votes after it was hoped that the Grand Old Party’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi would emerge victorious.

However, Congress was in for a surprise after it was revealed that six MLAs from the party cross-voted for the BJP on Tuesday.

The six MLAs – Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Chaitanya Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Davinder Kumar Bhutto, and Ravi Thakur – were “taken” to Haryana’s Panchkula accompanied by the state’s police and the Central Reserve Police Force.

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 ‘Ball is in their court’

Vikramaditya Singh said, “I have clearly said that I have briefed the party high command regarding the actual situation. Now the ball is in the court of the party high command, they have to decide what the future course of action will be. But I have been very clear and very categorical in what I had to say.”

At the same time, the leader expressed confidence that Congress would make decisions that would be in the larger interest of the organisation and the people of the state.

#WATCH | After resigning as a minister in the Himachal Pradesh cabinet, Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh says, "I have clearly said that I have briefed the party high command regarding the actual situation. Now the ball is in the court of the party high command, they have to… pic.twitter.com/RLJO2v9qwG

— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

Will Singh join BJP?

When asked if he would join the Bhartiya Janata Party, Singh said, “I am there where I am. In the times to come, I will hold due discussions and deliberations with my people, supporters, and well-wishers. After due discussions, we will take the future course of action.”

#WATCH | Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh resigns as a minister in the Himachal Pradesh cabinet.

When asked if he will continue in the party, he says, "I am there where I am. In the times to come, I will hold due discussions and deliberations with my people, supporters, and… pic.twitter.com/IsEzTsslB9

— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

The seat game in numbers

In the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly, the Congress has 40 MLAs, the BJP has just 25, while there are three independent lawmakers.

However, in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha polls, BJP clinched the sole seat in the state governed by the Congress.

The Congress candidate, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, was expected to win comfortably in the RS polls as the party holds a majority in the Assembly.

During the voting for the only Rajya Sabha seat for which elections were held on Tuesday, six Congress MLAs and three Independents supporting the government reportedly cast their ballots for the BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan.

The BJP claimed that the Congress has been reduced to a minority in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly after the Rajya Sabha polls. Meanwhile, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said 5-6 Congress MLAs have been taken by the BJP.