Himachal Crisis Escalates: 11 MLAs, Including Six Congress Rebels, Shift Loyalties To BJP-Run Uttarakhand

Eleven MLAs, including six rebels from the Himachal Pradesh Congress, were observed arriving in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand, indicating that the party's internal discord persists, on Saturday.

A bus bearing a Haryana number plate was reported to have arrived at Rishikesh's Taj Hotel on Saturday morning, as per ANI.

11 MLAs, Including Six Congress Rebels, Flock To BJP-Ruled Uttarakhand

Subsequently, eleven MLAs, comprising six rebels and three independent MLAs, were seen disembarking from the heavily guarded bus. This development occurred two days following a visit by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to Delhi, after being summoned by the Congress leadership.

Reports suggest that he went to the national capital to submit a report on the political scenario and engage in discussions regarding the Lok Sabha elections. When queried about the possibility of readmitting the six rebels, Sukhu remarked on Thursday, "If one realizes one's fault then that person deserves another chance."

Earlier, Himachal Minister Vikramaditya Singh disclosed that he had acted as a mediator between the Congress high command and the rebels, indicating that the decision lay with the national leadership.

Last month, the six rebels and three independents voted in favor of the BJP during the Rajya Sabha elections, leading to an embarrassing defeat for Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Consequently, the six MLAs - Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma, and Devinder Kumar Bhutto - were subsequently disqualified. The rebels have since taken their grievances to the Supreme Court, challenging the Speaker's decision.

Congress Crisis: Sukhu Summoned as Observers Assess Situation

DK Shivakumar, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel were dispatched by the Congress top brass to aid the party in overcoming the crisis.

The observers were tasked with presenting their findings to the Congress leadership, as a recent report submitted to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge raised doubts about the chief minister's political acumen, highlighting his perceived "failure" in managing the crisis.

In February, BJP's Harsh Mahajan emerged victorious despite Congress holding the majority. Accountability for allowing cross-voting was promised to be addressed by the Congress.