'Congress Has Lost Mandate': Ex-Himachal CM Jairam Thakur, BJP MLAs Meet Guv, Mulls Floor Test

Himachal Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur and BJP MLAs met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla after the Congress suffered shock defeat in Rajya Sabha polls.

Himachal LoP Jairam Thakur along with BJP MLAs meet Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla ( Image Source :ANI )

Leader of Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Jairam Thakur, along with the MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party reached Raj Bhawan early on Wednesday to meet Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, a day after the party managed to clinch the lone Rajya Sabha seat defeating stalwart Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. 

The meeting of BJP MLAs comes amid a buzz over the saffron party bringing a no-confidence motion against the Congress government in the state. 

Training guns on the Congress party after meeting the Governor, Thakur said that he doubted that the Himachal Assembly speaker would suspend the BJP MLAs and those Congress MLAs who cross-voted in the Tuesday polls. 

Himachal Pradesh LoP Jairam Thakur along with BJP's legislative party met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and demanded the division of votes for the financial budget in the House. pic.twitter.com/dyDRd6w3mZ

— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

"We have informed the Governor about what happened in the Assembly...In the Assembly, when we demanded a division of vote during the financial bill, it was not allowed and the House was adjourned twice," said the former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister. 

"The way Marshals behaved with our MLAs was not right. We have a doubt that the Vidhan Sabha Speaker can suspend BJP MLAs and some MLAs of Congress who voted for BJP in Rajya Sabha elections, can also be suspended," he added. 

"Currently, the Congress government has lost the right to stay in power...," Thakur said.  

Earlier when asked by reporters whether the BJP will demand a floor test in Himachal, Thakur said, "We want that to happen...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."

Meanwhile, in the Congress faction, party president Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and senior party leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda to go to Shimla and pacify the disgruntled party MLAs who voted in favour of the BJP candidate.