Himachal crisis: 11 MLAs, including six Congress dissidents, arrive in BJP-governed Uttarakhand

PTC News Desk: A bus bearing a Haryana number plate arrived at Rishikesh's Taj Hotel on Saturday, marking the continued turbulence within the Himachal Pradesh Congress.

In a significant development, 11 Himachal Pradesh MLAs, including six rebels from the Congress party and three independent MLAs, reached BJP-ruled Uttarakhand from Haryana. The arrival of the heavily guarded bus, as reported by ANI, underscored the ongoing internal strife within the state's Congress ranks. Amidst speculations regarding efforts by the state Congress leadership to reconcile with the dissenting MLAs, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu departed for Delhi to confer with the party's high command.

Sukhu's agenda in the national capital reportedly includes presenting a detailed report on the prevailing political dynamics and engaging in discussions pertinent to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. When questioned about the possibility of reintegrating the six rebels into the party fold, Sukhu remarked, "If one acknowledges their mistakes, they deserve a second chance."

Earlier, Himachal Minister Vikramaditya Singh revealed his role as a mediator between the Congress high command and the dissenting MLAs, highlighting that the resolution now rests with the national leadership.

The backdrop to this latest development lies in the recent Rajya Sabha elections, where the six rebel MLAs and three independent legislators sided with the BJP, leading to an embarrassing defeat for the Congress candidate, Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Subsequently, the six Congress rebels faced disqualification, a move contested by them in the Supreme Court.

The six dissenting Congress MLAs are Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma, and Devinder Kumar Bhutto. Furthermore, during a recent cabinet meeting, there was an appeal to the Centre to release an amount of ₹9,043 crore for disaster relief efforts in the state.

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Why was Sukhu called upon?

In response to the ongoing crisis within the party, the Congress leadership enlisted the assistance of prominent figures like Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel.

These individuals were appointed as observers tasked with assessing the situation and providing a detailed report to the Congress leadership. Insider accounts suggest that a recent report submitted to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge raised concerns about the chief minister's political handling, citing a perceived "failure" in managing the crisis effectively.

In the backdrop of recent events, particularly the BJP's Harsh Mahajan's victory in February's election despite the Congress holding a majority, questions were raised about accountability within the party. The Congress had vowed to investigate the circumstances that led to the cross-voting and ensure that those responsible were held accountable.

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(Inputs from agencies)

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