Himachal: All eyes on 3 independent, 2 Cong MLAs as RS polls dates draw near
Fears about cross-voting in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls slated for February 27, has started gripping the ruling Congress even as the party enjoys a comfortable majority in the state Assembly, beside three independents also on its side.
The party has fielded noted lawyer Abhishek Mani Singhvi from Himachal Pradesh while the BJP has fielded former Congress minister Harsh Mahajan, now in the BJP and also member of the state executive.
The Congress has 40 MLAs in the 68-member House whereas the BJP has 25. Three independent MLAs are backing the Congress and had also attended the meeting of the Congress Legislature Party when MLAs were introduced to Singhvi as party candidate. The fielding of Harsh Mahajan, a former Virbhadra Singh loyalist, has added a new twist to the poll which was expected to be a smooth affair. Many in the state also believe that the entry of Mahajan into the fray knowing that the party doesn’t have numbers on its side was not without reasons. “I entered the contest with the purpose to win. It was a well thought decision of the party. You will see a surprise on February 27”, Mahajan said.
But, the Congress seems to have fortified its strength of MLAs holding a crucial meeting and also out-reaching the disgruntled party MLAs, beside three independents Hoshiar Singh, KL Thakur and Ashish Sharma.
After the meeting with MLAs, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu ruled out the possibility of cross-voting in the state and maintained that the BJP’s political gamble of fielding its candidate despite its low numbers, will not pay off. He denied any discontent among the Congress.
“Considering the new rules and SC guidelines, the MLAs will be required to show their ballots to the party’s authorised agent before casting vote” said Sukhu. The authorised agent could declare an MLA’s vote invalid if he does not show his ballot before casting it. The Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal has fallen vacant on completion of RS membership term of BJP p resident J P Nadda, who is now party candidate from Gujarat.
