Himachal Speaker expels 15 BJP MLAs citing 'sloganeering, misconduct'

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly speaker on Wednesday expelled 15 MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly shouting slogans and misconduct in the Speaker's Chamber.

The development comes a day after the ruling-Congress lost the only Rajya Sabha seat in the state to BJP, due to cross-voting by its members.

BJP MLAs, earlier, met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla to complain against how Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania behaved towards Opposition MLAs.

Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said they "suspect the Speaker would suspend BJP MLAs" during the Budget Session that began today.

Hours later, 15 BJP legislators including Thakur, Vipin Singh Parmar, Randheer Sharma, Lokender Kumar, Vinod Kumar, Hans Raj, Janak Raj, Balbir Verma, Trilok Jamwal, Surender Shori, Deep Raj, Puran Thakur, Inder Singh Gandhi, Dileep Thakur and Inder Singh Gandhi were expelled.

Reacting to the expulsions, BJP's winning Rajya Sabha candidate Harsh Mahajan said, "Everyone is slipping away (from Congress) gradually. This Government won't continue. Congress governments will meet this fate."

Also Watch: Himachal Leader of Opposition meets Governor day after BJP's Rajya Sabha sweep