9 Himachal MLAs reach BJP-ruled Uttarakhand, Sukhu's govt in crisis

Six Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs who voted against the party in the Rajya Sabha elections have shifted to an Uttarakhand hotel amid a rebellion against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who fired back at the lawmakers saying they are being shepherded by the BJP.

BJP MLAs Vikram Thakur and Trilok Jamwal accompanied the six Congress and three Independent legislators, who arrived in Rishikesh from Haryana's Panchkula by a chartered flight late on Friday and checked into Hotel Taj, about 30 kilometres from Rishikesh.

Congress MLAs Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhuttu, Ravindra Thakur and Chaitanya Sharma have been disqualified from the Himachal Pradesh Assembly for defying the party whip on the state budget.

They have approached the Supreme Court for relief in the matter.

Three Independent MLAs Hoshiar Singh, KL Thakur and Ashish Sharma were also with them when they arrived.

The MLAs' move from Haryana to Uttarakhand drew a sharp response from Sukhu, who said they are being driven from one place to another like a shepherd herds a flock.

Addressing a public meeting in Mandi, Sukhu said the BJP is shepherding the six disqualified Congress MLAs, who betrayed the party, from one place to another, according to a statement.

He also asked why the BJP kept the rebel MLAs in a hotel in Haryana's Panchkula before flying them to Dehradun in a chartered plane and lodging them in a seven-star hotel in Rishikesh.

"These MLAs breached the trust of the people of their constituencies and the party by not listening to the call of conscience," he said.

He added that the public will teach a lesson to those who tried to hatch a conspiracy and asserted that his government will complete its full tenure.

Sukhu said he came from an ordinary background and became the chief minister by fighting for the rights of the people.

The post of chief minister belongs to a common man and not to someone who wants the chair for power and enjoyment and uses money to snatch it, he added.

The Congress currently has 34 MLAs in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly while the BJP has 25. The three Independent MLAs had also sided with the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls.

Security around Hotel Taj has been tightened and no one is being allowed to enter the premises except those who have advance online bookings.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region BL Verma told reporters in Haridwar that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh will soon fall.

"The Sukhu government in Himachal Pradesh is battling internal conflicts. It will not last long because of this infighting," Verma said.

He claimed Rahul Gandhi's actions have eradicated the Congress in Uttar Pradesh and will wipe it out from all over the country after the Lok Sabha elections.

Replying to a question about the presence of the Himachal Pradesh MLAs in Uttarakhand, Verma said the case of their expulsion is in the Supreme Court and the BJP honours the courts.

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