Amidst the political turbulence following the cross-voting incident by six Congress MLAs during the Rajya Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh declared that repercussions would come at an opportune time. The fate of the rogue legislators—Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Davinder K Bhutto, Ravi Thakur, Chaitanya Sharma, and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, who now find themselves disqualified from the state assembly—will be decided by the atonement measures the Congress leadership sees fit.
As Digvijaya Singh visited Morena to review plans for the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,’ contemplation intensified over Congress’s strategy to approach the impending Lok Sabha elections, with selection decisions resting on the Central Election Committee (CEC). Meanwhile, Vikramaditya Singh, son of the late former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, stirred speculation of political realignment after deleting references to his ministerial and party status on social media. His actions suggested a rift with the current state leadership under Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu as he met with dissenting MLAs before leaving for discussions in New Delhi.
The Congress, already staggering from the Rajya Sabha electoral blow, was further shaken when Vikramaditya Singh tendered his resignation, albeit briefly. His reproach towards the party’s treatment of his father’s legacy manifested during an emotional announcement where he blasted the Chief Minister for neglecting the Congress lawmakers. However, in a strategic counter to the burgeoning crisis, Congress managed to stabilize its hold on the state government by expelling 15 BJP MLAs and thus securing the passage of the state budget.
The internal conflict, manifest in the diverging factions—one supportive of Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and another aligning with Pratibha Singh, the state Congress president and widow of Virbhadra Singh—continues to permeate the political landscape in Himachal Pradesh. The Chief Minister’s denunciation of the renegade MLAs, whom he branded as dishonorable ‘black snakes,’ added rancor to the tumultuous environment. As political maneuvering persists, the unfolding scenario in Himachal Pradesh’s Cabinet, facing the consequences of infidelity and subterfuge, will be watched with avid interest.