HP crisis: Won't hesitate to take tough steps in party's interest, Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi | The Congress on Wednesday said the BJP cannot take away the mandate of the people of Himachal Pradesh through its 'Operation Lotus' and it will not hesitate to take tough steps in the party's interest.

Addressing reporters here on Wednesday after crisis gripped the party's government in Himachal Pradesh, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge has despatched three observers -- Bhupesh Baghel, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and D K Shivakumar -- to Shimla and has spoken to them.

He said Kharge has asked the observers and AICC in-charge for the state Rajeev Shukla to speak to all MLAs, including those who are disgruntled, and submit a comprehensive report to him soon.

"The Congress will not hesitate to take some tough steps as the party is our priority and will not let the people's mandate be betrayed in Himachal Pradesh," Ramesh told reporters.

"We cannot lose the people's mandate through BJP's 'Operation Lotus' as only people can take it back," Ramesh asserted.

He said accountability will also be fixed for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha poll in Himachal Pradesh, which the Congress nominee lost.

"Individual's interests are not important as the party is supreme," Ramesh said, adding that the people's mandate needs to be respected.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also said in a democracy, the general public has the right to choose the government of their choice.

The people of Himachal used this right and formed the Congress government with a clear majority, she said.

"But BJP wants to crush this right of the people of Himachal by misusing the money power, power of agencies and power of the Centre. The way BJP is using government security and machinery for this purpose is unprecedented in the history of the country," Gandhi said on X.

"If a party with 25 MLAs is challenging the majority of 43 MLAs, then it clearly means that it is dependent on horse-trading of representatives.

"This attitude of theirs is unethical and unconstitutional. The people of Himachal and the country are watching everything. The BJP, which did not stand with the people of the state during the natural disaster, now wants to push the state into political disaster," she said in a post in Hindi.