The Leader of the Opposition and fellow BJP MLAs held a meeting with the Governor of Himachal Pradesh this morning, pressing for a strength test for the government led by Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in the state Assembly.
This development comes on the heels of the BJP’s recent triumph in securing a victory for its candidate in the lone Rajya Sabha seat. The success was attributed to cross-voting by Congress MLAs and a favorable draw of lots.
“We have achieved victory against the odds. BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan emerged victorious in the Rajya Sabha elections. Presently, the Congress government has forfeited its moral authority to remain in power,” declared Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur after the meeting with Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla.
Thakur accused marshals of mistreating and manhandling BJP members when they sought to communicate with Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania after he rejected a division of votes in cut motions related to the health department. “We have briefed the Governor about this,” Thakur stated.
There is speculation that the BJP plans to introduce a no-confidence motion in the Assembly today as the Budget Session commences.
Mr. Thakur, who served as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh until 2022 when the BJP lost to the Congress, insisted on a division of votes for passing the state Budget instead of relying on a voice vote.
If allowed, the division of votes would disclose the actual support of each party. The failure of the Congress government to secure Budget approval would automatically reveal its lack of majority in the House.
Despite having 40 MLAs in the Assembly, the Congress anticipated a comfortable victory for its candidate, Abhishek Manu Singhvi. However, during the voting for the lone Rajya Sabha seat held on Tuesday, six Congress MLAs and three Independents supporting the government reportedly cast their votes for Harsh Mahajan.
In response to the results, Mr. Mahajan asserted that the Congress government is presently in the minority. “The state government lacks a majority at the moment. Those on the fence within the government are ready to join our side. They are dissatisfied with the government to the extent that they may take drastic measures. This government won’t endure; it will collapse under its own weight,” he conveyed to the news agency ANI.