Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday mentioned he gave the go-ahead to Minister Vikramaditya Singh to fulfill the rebels who cross-voted within the Rajya Sabha polls, in what gave the impression to be a placatory gesture at the same time as he referred to as the identical six MLAs “black serpents”.
Vikramaditya Singh, who’s the son of the get together’s state unit president Pratibha Singh, was additionally scheduled to fulfill Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi because the disaster within the Himachal Congress simmered.
In an try to appease the dissatisfied faction within the get together’s state department, Sukhu has appointed Rampur MLA Nand Lal because the chairman of the seventh State Finance Fee with the rank of cupboard minister.
The MLA who was appointed for the publish is believed to have shut ties with Vikramaditya Singh and Pratibha Singh. On Friday, she repeated her criticism that the Congress get together employees had been neglected by Sukhu after the get together got here to energy within the state greater than a 12 months in the past.
Six Congress MLAs triggered the Himachal disaster this week once they voted for BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan within the Rajya Sabha election for the lone seat from the state.
The MLAs voting for the Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi did not make it previous the midway mark within the 68-member Home.
Later, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified the six from the meeting after the Congress complained that they’d refrained from voting on the state price range regardless of a celebration whip. Fifteen BJP MLAs had been suspended over a ruckus within the Home.
Amid the disaster, Vikramaditya Singh introduced his resignation from the cupboard however softened his stand later after a gathering with the Congress observers, who had been scrambled to Shimla by the get together’s central management.
Disqualified MLAs Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Devinder Kumar Bhutto are holed up in a resort in Haryana’s Panchkula, the place Singh met them late Thursday night time whereas on his approach to Delhi.
The state public works division minister was additionally scheduled to fulfill Union Highway Transport Minister Nitin Kharge throughout his two-day journey to Delhi.
At a public rally at Dharampur in Solan district, Sukhu slammed the rebels calling them “six black snakes” (kale naag) who tried to destabilise the get together. “How can individuals who promote their honour for cash serve individuals of their constituencies,” he mentioned.
In Shimla, the CM instructed reporters that the PWD minister knowledgeable him Thursday that among the Congress rebels wished to come back again.
“I instructed Vikramaditya Singh to speak to those insurgent MLAs and the Congress central management,” the chief minister mentioned.
He mentioned Singh will meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge “and we are going to see what improvement takes place”.
“However there isn’t a menace to the (state) authorities,” he claimed.
Requested whether or not the Congress would take the rebels again, Sukhu referred to a earlier comment that the get together was prepared for this.
Pratibha Singh, the spouse of former CM Virbhadra Singh — who died in 2021 — on Friday repeated that the disaster might have been averted had the MLAs’ grievances been addressed in time.
She claimed there had been acrimony in direction of Sukhu for “ignoring” get together employees after the meeting polls win.
“Fourteen months is a protracted interval and I’ve been constantly urging the chief minister to accommodate leaders who labored arduous for the get together’s victory. However nothing was achieved,” she mentioned.
She mentioned Rajinder Rana — one of many insurgent MLAs – is a “tall chief” who defeated former chief minister P Ok Dhumal and anticipated a cupboard berth. The Congress chief, nevertheless, added that each one points have now been settled.
She additionally dismissed rumours that she is becoming a member of the BJP.
Following the disqualification of the insurgent MLAs, the efficient energy of the Home has decreased from 68 to 62 whereas the variety of Congress MLAs has shrunk from 40 to 34.
The BJP has 25 MLAs and the remaining three are Independents.
The Impartial MLAs had been among the many 9 MLAs who cross-voted in favour of the BJP candidate.
(with inputs from PTI)
