NEW DELHI | As the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh faces a risk of collapse, the party on Wednesday said it was weighing all options and will not hesitate to take tough steps to respect the people's mandate given to them.
Six Congress MLAs voted in favour of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday with sources claiming they are "disappointed" with the working style of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
Addressing reporters here, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge has despatched three senior observers -- Bhupesh Baghel, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and D K Shivakumar -- to Shimla.
The BJP cannot take away the mandate of the people of Himachal Pradesh through its 'Operation Lotus' and the Congress will take all steps necessary to protect it, Ramesh said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief J P Nadda were rejected by the voters of the hill state in the last assembly elections.
Ramesh said the Congress president has spoken to the observers and AICC in-charge for the state Rajeev Shukla and has asked them to speak to all MLAs, including those who are disgruntled, and submit a comprehensive report to him soon. The future course of action will be decided after that, he said.
Ramesh said the BJP was trying to come to power in Himachal Pradesh through the backdoor.
"This is yet another way of trying to come to power through the backdoor," he said, adding that the BJP did so in Goa, Madhya Pradesh and the latest attempt is in Himachal Pradesh.
He also said that accountability will also be fixed for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha poll in Himachal Pradesh, which the Congress nominee Abhishek Singhvi lost.
"Our priority is to save our Congress government. The people of Himachal rejected the prime minister, BJP president J P Nadda and Jairam Thakur and gave a clear mandate to the Congress. We should respect the mandate of the people. We will not allow the Modi government to bring down the Congress government," he said.
Sources said the Congress president is learnt to have spoken to former party chief Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on the Himachal developments.
Shivakumar decried the BJP and called its tactics "worrisome" for democracy.
"As per the directions of the Congress high command, I am reaching #HimachalPradesh. Also, there is absolutely no need to indulge in any hearsay, as I am confident that Congress Party legislators will be loyal to the party and stay put with the mandate that has been accorded to them," he said on X.
"However, what should be questioned and worrisome is the extremes to which BJP is going in terms of acquiring power, deliberately attempting to crush democracy and public mandate in the process," he added.
Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker suspended 15 BJP MLAs for misbehaviour and adjourned the house.
The state budget is pending approval in the assembly and the BJP, with the help of Congress rebels, is ensuring that the budget is not passed and is seeking a division of votes.
In a stunning upset for the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP on Tuesday won the state's lone Rajya Sabha seat with its candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress stalwart Singhvi and apparently set the stage for a no-trust motion in the assembly.
The contest tied with both the Congress and the BJP candidates getting 34 votes, indicating that at least six Congress MLAs voted against the party. The result was then declared based on a draw of lots, officials said.
In the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly, the Congress has 40 MLAs while the BJP has 25 legislators. The remaining three seats are held by independents.
