In a shocking defeat for the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP won the lone Rajya Sabha seat in the state on Tuesday with the saffron party's candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi.


The BJP's victory came as a result of cross-voting by Congress MLAs and a draw of votes leading to BJP's victory. 
 
In what is said to be a mounting trouble for the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, at least six Congress MLAs voted against the party setting the stage for a no-trust motion in the assembly.       


BJP leader Harsh Mahajan, after winning the seat, thanked the BJP's state and central leadership for their support.


“All credit for my victory goes to my party (BJP) for nominating me as the candidate. I would like to thank the party’s state and central leadership for their support and guidance. We were short in numbers but still managed to win; this signifies that the incumbent CM Sukhu-led Congress government has failed in the state,” Harsh Mahajan said. 


How Many Votes Were Cast?


In the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly, the voting was a tie as both the Congress and the BJP candidates got 34 votes, suggesting that at least six Congress MLAs voted against the party. 


The Congress has 40 MLAs in the state while the BJP has 25 legislators. The remaining three seats are held by independents. 


After a tie, the result was declared on the basis of a draw of lots, as per officials. As per the rule, a slip was drawn in which the name of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan was mentioned and thus Mahajan was declared the winner. 


The Rajya Sabha poll result was announced by a draw of lots in which the candidate whose name is taken out loses, as per the norms of the Election Commission.   


During a press conference, Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that normally, in the draw of lots, the name which is taken out wins. "But under the strange rule of the Election Commission which I came to know today, the name of the candidate taken out, which was me, loses," he said. 


Sukhu Govt In Trouble?


Even before the result was formally declared, the buzz over the BJP bringing a motion of no confidence against the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s 14-month-old government intensified.       


Nearly three hours after the polling – in which the Congress deployed a helicopter to fly an MLA into Shimla so that he could vote – Sukhu alleged that “five to six” Congress and independent MLAs had been “abducted” by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Haryana Police.       


A video clip also surfaced online purportedly showing some Himachal MLAs in about five cars outside a government guesthouse in BJP-ruled Haryana’s Panchkula – a familiar “resort politics” scene when a political party sequesters MLAs to prevent them from voting for the other side.       


The Congress candidate's defeat is likely to increase trouble for the Sukhu government as the annual budget for 2024-25 is to be passed in the state assembly on February 29 and proving his majority in the House would be a big challenge for him. There are also speculations of a floor test in Himachal assembly. 


Himachal Pradesh's Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and Himachal BJP chief Rajiv Bindal have demanded the resignation of the CM following Singhvi's defeat. 


When questioned about if the state BJP would demand a floor test, Thakur said, "The budget will be presented tomorrow. We will discuss the budget tomorrow and then we will see the situation there. But I can see that the government has lost the majority."