‘Whatever happened, happened’: Himachal Pradesh’s Suku shares Holi wishes

Shimla:

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sohu on Monday said what happened in the past is in the past and his government is now focusing on the future of the state to make Himachal Pradesh a “prosperous and The richest state”.

“What happened has happened; now the government is working hard and let us focus on the future of the state. We need to make Himachal Pradesh the most prosperous and richest state by 2032. People know everything. On this occasion, I send greetings to everyone on “Holi”, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister told ANI.

On March 25, the country will usher in an equally enthusiastic festival. Before the festival, people perform a bonfire lighting ceremony called Holika Dahan, which symbolizes the burning of the demon Holika.

Earlier on Saturday, six Congress rebels and three independent MLAs joined the BJP.

During the Lok Sabha polls, all six rebels voted for the BJP candidate, leading to Harsh Mahajan’s surprise victory in the hill state. Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost the election.

Six MPs were disqualified by the Speaker of the Assembly for flouting the whip and attending the House during the state budget session. The Election Commission has announced by-elections for six seats and polling for four Lok Sabha seats on June 1.

The Congress will not only have to contend with the BJP’s challenge in the Lok Sabha polls but also focus on six by-elections as the results will be crucial to its survival.

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

With the disqualification of six rebel MLAs, the House’s strength fell from 68 to 62, with a median score of 32. With the loss of six MLAs, the Congress now has 34 MLAs, while the BJP and independents have 28. Congress will now rely on its ability to bring other members together.

Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha seats – Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla and Kangra. The BJP won all four seats in 2019.

Elections to four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh and by-elections to six constituencies falling vacant due to the disqualification of six rebel Congress MLAs will be held on June 1.

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