Questions CM Sukhu’s ‘Secret’ Delhi Stay”
Munish Sood
Mandi
A significant political development has emerged in Himachal Pradesh after senior BJP leader Rajinder Rana raised sharp questions over Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s alleged stay in a Delhi hotel just before the Rajya Sabha election process began.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, Rana targeted the Congress leadership and also took aim at newly nominated Rajya Sabha MP Anurag Sharma, alleging that suspicious meetings may have taken place in Delhi ahead of the nomination.
Rana claimed that the Chief Minister’s official tour programme indicated that he was supposed to travel from Delhi to Shimla and reach Shimla on March 2. However, instead of returning as scheduled, Sukhu allegedly checked into Radisson Hotel and stayed there for nearly 23 hours.
According to Rana, the room — number 411 — was reportedly booked under another name, but the Chief Minister allegedly stayed there during the entire period. The BJP leader questioned what transpired inside the room that forced the Chief Minister to deviate from his official schedule.
“The Chief Minister’s tour programme was neither cancelled nor amended. Despite being scheduled to reach Shimla on March 2, he arrived only around 4 pm on March 3,” Rana said, adding that the unexplained delay raises serious questions.
Rana further demanded clarity about the meetings that allegedly took place during those 23 hours. “Who all met the Chief Minister in Room 411, and what discussions were held just before the Rajya Sabha election process?” he asked.
He also questioned why Sukhu chose to stay at a private hotel instead of government facilities such as Himachal Bhawan or Himachal Sadan, which are typically used by Himachal Pradesh officials visiting the national capital.
“This is not about an ordinary individual. It concerns the Chief Minister of the state, from whom transparency in public life is expected. Closed-door meetings inside a hotel room inevitably raise suspicions,” Rana said.
Taking a swipe at the Congress leadership, the BJP spokesperson alleged that the “smoke from these meetings” has spread from the Congress headquarters in Delhi all the way to Kerala, hinting that more revelations could surface in the coming days.
“People say there is something black in the lentils, but here the entire lentil appears black,” Rana remarked metaphorically, insisting that the people of Himachal Pradesh deserve to know the full truth behind the alleged meetings and their connection to the Rajya Sabha nomination.
