While Congress leaders are taking all measures for the victory of their Rajya Sabha candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the election scheduled for February 27, the BJP leaders despite not having numbers in their favour, are keeping their moves quite secret.
Election to fill up one seat for Rajya Sabha has become quite interesting after former Cabinet Minister in Late Virbhadrsa Singh led Congress government, Harsh Mahajan, after defecting to BJP during the last Assembly election in Himachal in 2022, entered the fray as a BJP nominee.
The move was quite surprising as BJP, after losing power in the state in the last Assembly election lack numbers in the present Assembly and the Congress which had come to power with absolute majority has 40 Congress MLAs in the house of 68 and also has support of three Independent MLAs.
The number of BJP MLAs in the state Assembly is 25 and it would require 10 additional votes to get a magic figure of 35 votes, required to win the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal, which looks an uphill task for Mahajan and BJP leadership.
“The new Supreme Court Guidelines regarding Rajya Sabha election of showing vote to every MLA to party’s election agent before casting his vote and the power to get the vote rejected in case of not showing it to the election agent will definitely check cross voting”, says Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
“But there are loopholes in the Rajya Sabha election leaving scope for cross voting as one or more MLAs can abstain from voting and if some MLAs vote for other party after showing his vote to the election agent of his party, his vote cannot be challenged, though the party can initiate disciplinary action later, “ argues an election expert .
However, the Congress leaders are not taking any chance to check cross voting and deputed senior Congress leaders – state Congress in –charge Rajiv Shukla and former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel to monitor the election.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is also working hard to ensure victory of Abhishek Manu Singhvi and has convened Congress legislature party meeting on Monday evening, since this election has become quite crucial for him.
BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan is banking on the support of “Congress dissidents” and his friendship with several Congress MLAs, being an old Congressman.