Shimla – In a dramatic turn of events, the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha witnessed chaos and acrimony today as the opposition, led by Jai Ram Thakur of the BJP, vehemently demanded a division of votes on the cut motion in the Health Department. The opposition claimed that the ruling Congress regime, under the leadership of Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, had lost its majority in the 68-member house.
The uproar occurred after the lunch break when the house reassembled. Thakur expressed dissatisfaction with the voice vote on the cut motion and accused the government of avoiding a division of votes, asserting that the Congress had lost confidence. He went on to state, “Even God cannot save the government.”
The allegations led to heated exchanges and slogan-shouting between the opposition and the ruling party members. The chaos reached a peak, prompting Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania to adjourn the house till 11 am tomorrow.
Surprisingly, not only the opposition but also the ruling party MLAs left the house while raising slogans. Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi defended the Speaker’s ruling, stating, “Since the government had a majority with more than 33 MLAs in the house, there was no need for a division of votes.”
The incident occurred on the day of polling for the Rajya Sabha elections, where the BJP exhibited aggressive posturing. Following the adjournment, opposition MLAs marched to the Speaker’s chamber to lodge a protest. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu accused the opposition of misbehaviour and threats, emphasizing that the Congress had the numbers and issued a whip.
Former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, in a media interaction, expressed dissatisfaction, stating, “Not only was our demand for division of votes rejected, but the house was also adjourned due to total disorder.” He hinted that Congress would be scrutinizing the absence of some MLAs when the assembly reconvenes.
Thakur further alleged misbehavior by Marshalls outside the Speaker’s chamber, claiming that BJP legislators, including former Speaker Vipin Parmar, were pushed and mistreated. “Today will go down as a black day in the history of Himachal Vidhan Sabha,” Thakur added, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
As the political turmoil unfolds, the future course of action and the repercussions of today’s events remain uncertain, casting a shadow over the political landscape of Himachal Pradesh.
