Shimla – In the wake of their unexpected triumph in the solitary Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP Legislative Party, under the leadership of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Wednesday morning and demanded for a floor test in the Vidhan Sabha.
Asserting that a no-confidence motion is unnecessary, Chief Minister Thakur contended that the Sukhu-led Congress government would crumble during the cut motion voting, as the party lacks sufficient support from MLAs.
Alleging partiality on the part of Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, the BJP sought the Governor’s intervention to ensure a transparent division of votes during the cut motions, challenging the prevailing practice of voice voting.
Expressing discontent with the Speaker’s conduct, Thakur insisted that the BJP would not tolerate any unfair practices. The party advocated for strict adherence to parliamentary rules, calling for a clear division of votes following the cut motion.
Currently, the BJP is placing its bets on the division of votes during the cut motion in the assembly. With 40 seats held by the Congress, 25 by the BJP, and the remaining three by independents in the 68-member state assembly, the political landscape is tense.
On the preceding day, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania’s refusal to allow a division of votes on cut motions related to the health department fuelled the BJP’s discontent. Chief Minister Thakur stated, “We have come here to apprise the governor of the situation,” after a tie in the voting between Congress and BJP candidates resulted in the use of a draw of lots to determine the outcome. The BJP is now pushing for a fair and transparent process in future cut motions to ascertain the fate of the Sukhu government.
