Himachal News: Congress United For Rajya Sabha Elections, Support Of Three Independent MLAs Also
![Congress Legislature Party (File) - Photo: Diary Times](https://diarytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Congress-Legislature-Party-File-Photo-Diary-Times.jpg)
Congress Legislature Party (File) - Photo: Diary Times
Before the Rajya Sabha elections, Congress has given the message of complete unity. Three independent MLAs Hoshyar Singh, KL Thakur and Ashish Sharma have also come in support of the Congress party candidate.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri along with MLAs Sudhir Sharma and Rajendra Rana, who are angry with the party, also attended the meeting of the Congress Legislature Party at Hotel Sicil, Chauda Maidan in the capital Shimla on Monday evening. A total of 38 Congress MLAs have registered their presence in the meeting. Cabinet Minister Anirudh Singh left for Hoshiarpur on Monday evening with a helicopter to take Congress MLA Sudarshan Bablu, who was admitted to a private hospital in Hoshiarpur due to ill health. Minister Anirudh Singh will bring the MLA with him to Shimla for voting on Tuesday. State Congress in-charge Rajiv Shukla, President Pratibha Singh and party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi were also present in the Congress Legislature Party meeting held on Monday.
As soon as the assembly proceedings ended on Monday evening, all the Congress MLAs left for Hotel Cecil.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had already reached the meeting venue. Before the legislature party meeting, Chief Minister Sukhu had a detailed discussion with party candidates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Rajeev Shukla and Pratibha Singh. In this meeting, a strategy has been made for the voting to be held on Tuesday.
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CM Sukhu said that the party high command has decided Singhvi as the candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections. It is the duty of all of us to vote in favor of Singhvi and make him a Rajya Sabha MP. Rajiv Shukla has also called upon all the party MLAs to unite and support the party candidate.
On the other hand, breakfast has also been organized for the Congress MLAs on Tuesday morning at the Chief Minister official residence Oakover.
Deputy Chief Minister reached Shimla for the first time after the death of his wife –
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri had reached Shimla on Monday after the death of his wife. Mukesh reached Anadale Helipad in Shimla by helicopter from Dulaihar in Una and went straight to his government residence. On Tuesday, Agnihotri will participate in the voting for Rajya Sabha. Agnihotri is likely to stay in Shimla on Tuesday night also. However, the tour program has not been officially released.
Complaint to the Election Commission about Congress issuing whip –
Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur said that the state government, especially the Chief Minister and central Congress leaders are putting pressure on the MLAs. He said that as per the democratic system, MLAs are elected representatives and they have the right to cast their vote. On February 22, Harshvardhan, Chief Whip of the Congress Legislature Party, issued a letter saying that the Congress MLAs will vote for the authorized Rajya Sabha candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the elections. BJP has also complained about this to the Election Commission of India, in which the letter written by Harshvardhan Chauhan has been attached. BJP leaders have sent a complaint in this regard to Chief Electoral Officer Manish Garg.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur said that the Election Commission of India has said that a whip can never be issued, but despite that the Congress Party has issued it. Congress leaders have even said that if they violate the whip, they will lose their assembly membership.
Jairam Thakur alleged that the Chief Minister said in the meeting with the MLAs that when the vote is cast, the agent of his party will have to show the vote after casting the vote. If after showing the vote, any member has done cross voting then his vote will be invalid. Jairam said that authorized agents can only observe the vote, but have no power to invalidate it.
Government taking location of MLAs and tapping phones: Jairam
Jairam Thakur accused Himachal Pradesh Police and said that it is engaged in taking the location of MLAs and tapping their phones. He said that senior member of the Assembly Sudhir Sharma has said that he has received a threat to kill over the call. Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur said that the law and order situation in Devbhoomi is worrying. The way the government and its power are being used to exert pressure for the Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh is also not appropriate.
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