Leader of Opposition Points Finger at Himachal Pradesh Police for Tapping MLAs’ Phones
Shimla – In a startling revelation, BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur has accused the Congress government of putting undue pressure on MLAs for the upcoming Rajya Sabha MP elections. Thakur alleges interference from the Chief Minister and central leaders of the Congress Party, raising concerns about the democratic process.
Addressing a press conference, Jairam Thakur expressed his concern over the continuous pressure being exerted on MLAs by the present government. He specifically pointed fingers at Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and top leaders of the Congress Party for attempting to influence the voting process.
The controversy stems from a statement issued by Harsh Vardhan, Chief Whip of the Congress Party Legislature Party, on February 22 for voting in favour of Congress’s official candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections.
Jairam Thakur highlighted that, according to the democratic system, MLAs are elected representatives with the right to vote independently. He emphasized that despite the Election Commission and the Government of India explicitly stating that a whip cannot be issued, the Congress Party has issued one, revealing its intent to exert pressure on the MLAs.
Thakur accused the Chief Minister of addressing Congress MLAs in a legislature party meeting and coercing them into following specific voting instructions. He disclosed that the Chief Minister insisted on a mandatory process where authorized agents from both parties must show their votes to each other after casting them. Any deviation, the Chief Minister reportedly warned, would result in the invalidation of the vote.
Jairam Thakur clarified that the Authorized Election Agent has the authority to observe the vote but lacks the power to render it invalid. He accused the Congress-led state government of attempting to manipulate the electoral process.
Adding another layer to the controversy, Thakur accused the Himachal Pradesh Police of being involved in tapping the locations and phones of MLAs. This revelation raises serious questions about privacy and the potential misuse of state machinery for political purposes, further intensifying the ongoing political drama in the state.
