Vikramaditya Singh tried to influence other MLAs: Himachal Chief Minister

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu also shared that he had spoken to Vikramaditya Singh (File)

Amid the political crisis in Himachal Pradesh, especially over the resignation of Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said he held discussions with the rebel Congress leader during the cabinet meeting on Thursday following which Vikramaditya Singh visited Chandigarh.

“Vikramaditya Singh was in the Cabinet meeting yesterday. I had a discussion with him. After the Cabinet meeting, he went to Chandigarh and met other MLAs at Lalit Hotel there. He has tried to influence the minds of other (rebel) MLAs. Some of them People want to come back to Congress,” the chief minister told ANI on Friday.

Mr Sukhu also shared that he had spoken to Vikramaditya Singh, former royal and son of six-time Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh.

The Chief Minister said, “I spoke to him (Vikramaditya Singh) at seven in the morning, then again in the afternoon. I have also asked him to speak to the high command.”

Mr Sukhu said that one of the rebel MLAs had called him and shared his interest to come back to the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is taking all steps to topple the Congress government in the hill state. Has reportedly deployed more MLAs. CRPF troops at Lalit Hotel in Panchkula, where six rebel Congress MLAs are currently staying.

“An MLA called me and told that he wants to come back to the Congress. But he can come back only if he is within the limits of Himachal. He is in the Lalit Hotel in Panchkula. I have just heard that CRPF and Young people have also come.” Have been deployed there,” the Chief Minister said.

Mr Sukhu said he would welcome rebel Congress MLAs who want to come back to the Congress fold, but would not take any coercive step.

He said, “When he has made up his mind, he can come and we will welcome him. Forcing someone is not in the culture of Himachal. Hooliganism is not in the culture of Himachal.”

The six MLAs disqualified after crossvoting in the Rajya Sabha elections are: Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Davinder K Bhutto, Ravi Thakur, Chaitanya Sharma and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal.

Crossvoting led to a surprise victory for BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate from Himachal Pradesh, Harsh Mahajan.

Meanwhile, Vikramaditya Singh, who withdrew his resignation from the post of minister in the state on Wednesday, has kept the top Congress leadership in the dark with speculations.

After the 2022 assembly elections, the Congress has 40 MLAs in the 68-member state assembly, while the BJP has 25 MLAs. The remaining three seats are held by independents.

With the disqualification of six rebel MLAs, the strength of the House has reduced from 68 to 62 and the majority figure is 32. With the loss of 6 MLAs, Congress now has 34 MLAs and with the addition of independent MLAs, BJP has 28 MLAs. Congress’s luck will be bad. Now it depends on its ability to keep the rest of its herd together.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)