TNR Desk
The Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Himachal Pradesh government appears to have averted the political crisis facing it for the time being, but internal discord within the Congress persists. On Wednesday, the Congress relieved disqualified Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma of his duties as AICC secretary, while another rebel leader, Rajinder Rana, resigned from his position as working president.
Rana becomes the third working president of Congress to resign. Previously, both Harsh Mahajan and Pawan Kajal had left the Congress to join the BJP while holding the same post.
Vikramaditya Singh, who recently met disqualified MLAs in Chandigarh en route to Delhi, conveyed the rebels’ message to the party high command. The ball now rests in the court of the high command. Vikramaditya is likely to visit Delhi again while Chief Minister Sukhu may also pay a visit to brief the high command.
Vikramaditya’s recent display of allegiance at Nitin Gadkari’s programme in Hamirpur, where he raised slogans of “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, hints at shifting alliances towards those prioritising Himachal’s interests. Reconciliation between the rebels and Congress seems increasingly unlikely. When the Congress removed rebel Sudhir from his post, he alleged that a party leader had orchestrated his removal. Following Sudhir’s departure, MLA Rana promptly resigned.
The fate of the disqualified MLAs now lies with the Supreme Court while the Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) case awaits resolution in the Himachal Pradesh High Court. The decision of the privilege committee of the Assembly will also impact the BJP and the government. Due to the Supreme Court’s busy schedule, the case remained unlisted on Wednesday, with impending holidays further delaying proceedings.
Should the Supreme Court rule in favour of the rebels, the BJP’s activity and the privilege committee’s actions are likely to intensify. The BJP could seek a no-confidence vote with its 25 MLAs, supported by Congress’ six rebels and three independent MLAs, potentially resulting in a deadlock with 34-34 representation in the House. To preclude this scenario, the privilege committee of Congress MLAs may consider taking strict action against seven BJP MLAs.
Conversely, the petition challenging the appointment of six Chief Parliamentary Secretaries is scheduled for hearing in the Himachal Pradesh High Court on March 13. The BJP has contested these appointments, alleging these constitute “posts of profit”. March 14 marks the deadline for BJP MLAs to respond to the committee’s inquiries, with a significant decision anticipated on this matter.
