The Himachal Pradesh Congress on March 6 took action against party MLA Sudhir Sharma, for cross-voting in support of the BJP candidate during the state's Rajya Sabha polls on February 27.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, in an official statement, announced that party president Mallikarjun Kharge has promptly removed Sharma from the position of secretary.
Sharma, a senior figure from Dharamshala and a former minister in Himachal Pradesh, faced disqualification as an MLA for going against a party whip.
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Disqualified MLAs Approach Supreme Court
Earlier on March 5, the party had disqualified six of its MLAs for cross-voting. These MLAs had approached the Supreme Court of India contesting the party's decision announced by State Legislative Assembly Speaking Kuldeep Singh Pathania on February 29.
The Congress rebels, who supported BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls on February 27, later abstained from voting on the Budget, defying a party whip. This move resulted in the loss of the Rajya Sabha election for Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi.
The ruling Congress sought the disqualification of the six MLAs, alleging that they abstained from voting on the Budget against the party whip. The disqualified MLAs include Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur, and Chetanya Sharma.
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Following the disqualification, the effective strength of the House decreased from 68 to 62, with the number of Congress MLAs shrinking from 40 to 34.
Alleged Violation of Natural Justice
In their petition to the SC, the rebel MLAs claimed a violation of the principle of natural justice, asserting that they did not receive adequate opportunity to respond to the disqualification petition.
This marks the first instance in the history of Himachal Pradesh where an MLA was disqualified under the anti-defection law, aimed at preventing defections.
Under the anti-defection law, any elected member who voluntarily gives up party membership or votes contrary to the party's direction faces disqualification.
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Unprecedented Disqualification Process
The rebel MLAs, who signed the attendance register but abstained during the Budget voting, received notices through WhatsApp and e-mail. The speaker suspended 15 BJP MLAs, and the assembly passed the Finance Bill by voice vote before adjourning the session.
In a 30-page order, the speaker justified the quick judgment, emphasising the need to maintain democracy's dignity and prevent the "Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram" phenomenon. He clarified that the judgment had no connection to the cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls by these MLAs.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Published: 06 Mar 2024, 02:05 PM IST
Topics You May Be Interested In India Congress Sudhir Sharma Himachal Pradesh Congress