Many Himachal Pradesh BJP Leaders in Touch with Us, Can Join Party Anytime: Congress Leaders

Several BJP leaders, including its legislators, are in contact with the Congress and could join the party anytime in Himachal Pradesh, ruling party leaders claimed on Wednesday, a day after the saffron party fielded six disqualified Congress MLAs as its candidates for the Assembly bypolls.

The BJP has nominated the six former MLAs from the same seats they held as Congress members before their disqualification from the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, triggering a rebellion by party leaders who expected they would be fielded from these seats.

In a joint statement, state minister Aniruddh Singh and the Himachal Pradesh Congress’ chief parliamentary secretary Sunder Singh said, “People will teach a lesson to the leaders who betrayed the party in the Lok Sabha and Assembly by-elections. The Congress will win all four Lok Sabha seats and by-election in all six assembly constituencies with huge margins.”

“Many BJP MLAs, former ministers and former legislators are in touch with the Congress and can join the party anytime,” the statement claimed, adding that nomination to the disqualified MLAs has made it clear that the BJP “conspired” to topple the Congress government using money power.

All six former MLAs switched over to the BJP from the Congress on March 23, nearly a month after being disqualified from the House for defying a party whip to be present and vote in favour of the Congress-led government during the cut motions and budget.

They and three Independent MLAs had voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls held in the state on February 27, triggering a crisis for the Congress-led government in the state. ”The rebels are being used as ’puppets’ by the BJP… The party leaders should give due consideration to former BJP chief minister Shanta Kumar’s advice,” the Congress leaders said in the joint statement.

Referring to the political situation in the state, Shanta Kumar on March 14 said, ”We built Ram Mandir but simply constructing the temple will not help. We must also follow his principles.” Accusing Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur of using unfair means to grab power, the Congress leaders claimed that the BJP was on the brink of a slit in Himachal Pradesh due to his lust for power.