Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh has fueled speculation within the Congress leadership by removing his official designation from his Facebook bio.
Previously known as the Public Works Minister and member of the Indian National Congress, his bio now simply reads “Servant of Himachal”.
The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh faced instability after the setback in the Rajya Sabha elections and has since been engaged in crisis management efforts.
This has come to light quoting sources ndtvSingh is likely to hold discussions with important BJP leaders like former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and state president Rajeev Bindal in Delhi.
Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s son Vikramaditya Singh on Friday met other disgruntled Congress MLAs before leaving for New Delhi.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Rajinder Rana said, “There is no Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, it is only the government of Sukhwinder Sukhu’s friends… Everyone is aware of the situation in the state. The youth are on the streets after giving exams. They are still waiting for the results. The promises given to the people are not being fulfilled and the elected MLAs are being treated disrespectfully.”
Earlier, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Friday said he has authorized minister Vikramaditya Singh to talk to the rebel MLAs who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha elections. He called the same six MLAs “black snakes”.
Vikramaditya Singh, who is the son of party state unit president Pratibha Singh, had also planned to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi amid the ongoing crisis within the Himachal Congress.
In a possible attempt to quell dissent within the party’s state unit, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu appointed Rampur MLA Nand Lal as chairman of the 7th State Finance Commission, and gave him the rank of cabinet minister.
Also read: ‘Some rebel MLAs want to come back…’: Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu adds new twist to Congress controversy
The MLA selected for this role is believed to have close relations with Vikramaditya Singh and Pratibha Singh. On Friday he reiterated his dissatisfaction and said Sukhu has ignored party workers since the Congress took power in the state a year ago.
The crisis in Himachal Pradesh erupted this week when six Congress MLAs voted for BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections for the state’s lone seat.
The MLAs supporting Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi fell short of the required majority in the 68-member House.
Subsequently, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified six MLAs from the Assembly after the Congress filed a complaint stating that they had abstained from voting on the state budget despite the party whip. Additionally, fifteen BJP MLAs were suspended due to disruption in the House.
Also read: Shivkumar said, CM Sukhwinder Sukhu will remain for 5 years; ‘Can’t say’, Congress Himachal Pradesh chief Pratibha Singh replied
Amid the turmoil, Vikramaditya Singh initially tendered his resignation from the cabinet, but later softened his stance after a meeting with Congress observers sent to Shimla by the party’s central leadership.
The disqualified MLAs, Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Devinder Kumar Bhutto, are currently staying in a hotel in Panchkula, Haryana. Singh met him late on Thursday night while going to Delhi.
(with inputs from agencies)
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Published: 02 March 2024, 12:25 PM IST
