Himachal Pradesh Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh resigned from the cabinet on Wednesday, a day after the party lost to BJP on the lone Rajya Sabha seat in the elections which saw cross-voting by several legislators.
A teary-eyed Vikramaditya Singh, son of former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, said the Congress government was disrespectful towards his late father, adding that he was "emotionally" and "not politically" hurt.
"...Someone who was the CM of the state for 6 times, due to whom this Government was formed in the state - they could not find a small space for his statue at Mall Road. This is the respect this Government has shown to my late father. We are emotional people, we have nothing to do with posts...But this is very unfortunate...I am very hurt, not politically but emotionally...," Vikramaditya Singh said while announcing his resignation.
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Vikramaditya Singh added: "I have always respected the leadership and the CM and contributed toward running the government with due discipline. I am not appreciating myself today. But I can tell you with 100% conviction that in the last one year as a minister in the Congress Government, we have supported the government with all our strength...There were from some quarters attempts to humiliate me in my functioning as a cabinet minister...I respect the CM but there has to be coordination among the Council of Ministers...This is a breach of trust, something that has led to where we are standing today..."
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Vikramaditya Singh is an MLA from Shimla Rural.
Political Crisis In HP After RS Poll Outcome
The Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government finds itself in a political crisis after some of its MLAs cross-voted in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday, February 27, giving out a clear signal of disgruntlement.
The Congress deployed senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and DK Shivakumar to engage with the six MLAs, who are learnt to be "disappointed" with the working style of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and are seeking his replacement.
The Congress has 40 MLAs and the BJP 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents.
Meanwhile, BJP MLAs, including LoP Jairam Thakur, met the Himachal Pradesh Governor on Wednesday, seeking a test of strength for the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government in the state Assembly.
Hours later, Jairam Thakur, along with 14 other BJP MLAs, were expelled by Himachal Pradesh Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania for "misbehaviour and shouting slogans in the House."
The expulsion came after Himachal Pradesh BJP on Wednesday sought intervention of Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla amid apprehensions that the Assembly Speaker might suspend its MLAs or disqualify the Congress legislators who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha election.
