News Brief
Himachal: Days After Cross Voting In Rajya Sabha Polls, Six Former Congress MLAs, Three Independents Join BJP
BJP Leader Anurag Thakur (Anushree Fadnavis/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
In a latest political development in Himachal Pradesh, six former Congress MLAs, along with three independent MLAs have officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (23 March).
The formal transition was marked by a ceremony attended by key BJP figures, including Union Minister Anurag Thakur, former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, and state unit president Rajeev Bindal.
As reported by PTI, Thakur welcomed the former Congress lawmakers into the party, emphasising that their inclusion would bolster the BJP's strength.
He criticised the state's Congress government for not fulfilling its commitments, resulting in widespread discontent among the people.
According to Thakur, the support extended by these leaders to the BJP during the recent Rajya Sabha election reflects the prevailing "public anger" against the Congress.
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The six disqualified Congress MLAs who switched allegiance to the BJP include Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma, and Devinder Kumar Bhutto.
These legislators were disqualified on 29 February for defying a party whip and cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls.
Their decision to abstain from voting in favor of the state government during a crucial motion in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly resulted in their expulsion from the Congress.
Joining them in their move to BJP are three independent MLAs: Ashish Sharma, Hoshiyar Singh, and KL Thakur.
The number of legislators in the 68-member House has now reduced to 59.
The Congress currently holds 34 members, which includes the Speaker, whereas the BJP has 25 MLAs.
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