Rajya Sabha election results 2024: BJP stuns Congress in Himachal Pradesh, demands CM’s resignation

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday effected a coup of sorts in Himachal Pradesh as it clinched the sole Rajya Sabha seat in the Congress-ruled state.

After having outfoxed the Congress despite BJP being deficient in strength in the Himachal assembly, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur demanded the resignation of Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

“We are rightly saying that looking at this victory, the Himachal Pradesh CM should resign from his position…The MLAs have left him just within a year,” said Himachal Pradesh LoP Jairam Thakur.

He congratulated the BJP candidate, Harsh Mahajan.

“Despite having such a huge majority, Congress lost the Rajya Sabha seat…I congratulate Harsh Mahajan once again,” he said.

Mahajan, who was pitted against Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi, said, called the win “the victory of the BJP, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah”.

Jairam Thakur, who was the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh before Sukhu, credited Amit Shah and JP Nadda.

“I congratulate PM Modi because here, in Himachal Pradesh, where we are not in power, the BJP has won one Rajya Sabha seat and the credit goes to JP Nadda and Amit Shah,” he said.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi accepts defeat

Congress candidate from Himachal Pradesh, Abhishek Manu Singhvi congratulated Harsh Mahajan.

“I congratulate Harsh Mahajan (BJP candidate). He has won,” he said.

“I want to thank the entire top leadership of the Congress, the Congress president and the former Congress president, Sonia Gandhi for having reposed faith in me for the fourth time. Secondly, I would like to thank each and every MLA, and office bearers of the Congress Party who tried their best,” he added.

Sukhu’s MLAs return to Himachal Pradesh

Sukhu had said in the evening that the CRPF and the Haryana police took away six of his MLAs.

Six Congress MLAs and three independents left for Himachal Pradesh from Haryana after the results were declared.

The Congress has 40 MLAs in the 68-strong Himachal Pradesh Assembly. It also has the support of three independent MLAs. The BJP has just 25 MLAs.

The Congress should have comfortably won the Rajya Sabha seat had its MLAs not cross-voted.

Earlier today, Jairam Thakur claimed the Congress government was in minority.

“The budget will be presented tomorrow. We will discuss the budget tomorrow and then we will see the situation there. But I can see that the government has lost the majority,” he said.

The Rajya Sabha election results have jeopardized the Sukhu government.