The winter session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly kicked off with a dramatic adjournment as the House was suspended to discuss serious corruption allegations against the state government. The debate, initiated under Rule 67, followed a work stoppage motion put forward by BJP MLA Randhir Sharma. It centered on alleged irregularities during the two-year tenure of the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government.
The session began with the BJP demanding an immediate discussion on corruption, prompting Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to approve the proposal. Sukhu, however, challenged the opposition to provide solid evidence to back their claims. In response, Speaker Kuldeep Pathania took the rare step of suspending both the Question Hour and Zero Hour to allow the debate to unfold, signaling an unusual moment of agreement on procedural issues.
During the intense debate, BJP MLA Randhir Sharma accused the government of multiple corruption scandals. These included alleged irregularities in the liquor tendering process within the Excise Department, the overpriced sale of land to the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC), and suspected corruption in the Tourism Corporation’s acquisition of a subpar cruise ship in Bilaspur. Sharma presented a memorandum, which had been submitted to the Governor, as evidence. However, Speaker Pathania rejected it, citing incomplete documentation.
Chief Minister Sukhu responded by questioning the opposition’s failure to present tangible proof of the allegations. He also took aim at Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur’s absence from the debate, remarking, “The adjournment motion on corruption is being discussed, and yet the leader of the opposition is missing.” Sukhu hinted at revealing letters from Thakur’s tenure as Chief Minister, which he suggested could expose possible irregularities under the previous BJP government.
The debate became increasingly heated, with both parties trading accusations. Speaker Pathania was forced to adjourn the House for ten minutes due to the inability to maintain order. Despite multiple adjournments, the discussion on corruption dominated the session, sidelining other legislative matters.
This adjournment motion and the ensuing debate underscore the growing political rivalry in Himachal Pradesh, with the Congress government and the BJP opposition engaging in fierce exchanges over allegations of corruption, further intensifying the state’s political climate.
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