Rajya Sabha Polls: DK Shivakumar In Himachal Today After New Congress Debacle, BJP Hawk-Eyed — Top Points

DK Shivakumar and Bhupinder Singh Hooda will reach Shimla on Wednesday to defuse the looming crisis over the Himachal Congress government after shock defeat in Rajya Sabha polls following cross voting

DK Shivakumar and Bhupinder Singh Hooda to reach Shimla amid crisis looming over Himachal Congress government

Source : PTI

The Tuesday Rajya Sabha polls came as a shocker for Congress in Rajya Sabha after its stalwart candidate Abhishek Manu Sinhgvi was defeated by MLAs of his own party who voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan despite the grand old party being in power in the hill state. 

Following the Congress' defeat, Himachal Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jairam Thakur reached Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and demand for a floor test. 

"We are not being heard in the Vidhan Sabha. Whenever we demand division during the financial bill, it is not allowed," Thakur alleged. 

"The House is getting adjourned without our permission. Congress government has lost the moral right to stay in power. The damage that has been done is irreparable...," said the former Himachal Chief Minister. 

Amidst all the chaos, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Congress senior leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda will reach Himachal today in an attempt to defuse the crisis.

Here are the top developments. 

• After six Congress MLAs voted in favour of the BJP candidate in Himachal, the party leaderhship swung into action to pacify the disgruntled legislators. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed Hooda and Shivakumar to engage in talks with the six MLAs . The concerned MLAs are supposedly "dissappointed" with the working style of their Chief Minister Sukhivnder Singh Sukhu. 
• Both the top Congress leaders will reach Shimla early on Wednesday to take stock of the situation as the Congress government in the state faces an existential crisis.
• The six MLAs left for Haryana fromm Shimla after casting their votes on Tuesday and according to PTI report, they are in touch with the BJP amid signs of a crisis engulfing the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh.
• Meanwhile, the BJP top brass was quick to take a dig the crisis within the Congress party with Union Home Minister Amit Shah who pivoted on the situation to attack the I.N.D.I.A bloc. 
• Speaking at an event in Delhi following Congress' debacle, Shah ridiculed as "childish", the claim made by Sukhu that five to six MLAs of his party were "kidnapped and whisked away" by the CRPF and the Haryana Police.
• He also said that disintegration is afflicting the Congress and the opposition bloc INDIA as they are unable to keep their flock together.