Himachal political crisis: Chief Minister Sukhu lost ground even in his home district, 3 MLAs from Hamirpur among dissenters
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TNR Desk
Two Congress MLAs hailing from the home district of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are among six party legislators who have thrown the government into disarray by cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections that led to BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan’s victory on Tuesday (February 27, 2024).
The crisis stems from the actions of Sujanpur MLA Rajinder Rana and Barsar MLA ID Lakhanpal, both representing the Congress, alongside independent MLA Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur Sadar. Congress MLAs Rajendra Rana and Sudhir Sharma (representing Dharamshala) have been openly critical of the government for a long period, frequently airing their grievances against their own party on social media platforms.
The situation escalated on December 16 as both Rana and Sudhir orchestrated a show of strength under the guise of organising Army Day function in Sujanpur, vehemently expressing dissent against the state government’s policies.
The united front presented by both Congress MLAs challenging the government from the Chief Minister’s home district added fuel to the political fire. MLA Rana emerged as a vocal critic, issuing a series of statements against the government and even releasing letters purportedly addressed to the Chief Minister on social media platforms. The resignation of Abhishek Rana, son of MLA Rajinder Rana, from the post of chairman of the Himachal Congress Social Media Department in January further fuelled speculation of internal dissent within the party ranks.
Speculation mounted as to whether MLAs Rana and Sudhir Sharma were gearing up for a direct confrontation with their own government. Recent developments, including the gathering of supporters at MLA Rana’s residence in Patlandar, hinted at significant changes on the horizon.
Rana’s public statements underscored the growing disillusionment among the people of Sujanpur, who, he asserted, were no longer willing to tolerate deception from the government. While Rana dismissed rumours of joining the BJP, he made it clear that the concerns of cross-voting in the Assembly were not unwarranted. Despite repeated warnings from both MLAs, the Congress government seemingly underestimated the gravity of the situation.
