Big upset for Congress in Himachal Pradesh as 9 party MLAs vote for BJP

Congress suffered a major upset in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in the elections to the Rajya Sabha due to cross-voting for BJP by nine Congress legislators, report Indian media outlets. 

Congress has a clear majority in the state, and that should have ensured victory for its senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, also an eminent lawyer, against Harsh Mahajan of BJP in the Rajya Sabha seat poll yesterday.

But Mahajan was declared winner by draw of lots after both candidates were tied, securing 34 votes each.

The electoral college for Rajya Sabha poll consists of members of legislative assemblies in the states. Each state has a certain number of Rajya Sabha seats in proportion to the strength of those assemblies.

The result in Himachal Pradesh made it clear that nine legislators of Congress voted in favour of BJP.

At present, the state‍‍`s ruling Congress has 40 legislators, BJP 25 while three are independents in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly.

Despite the big difference in numbers, Mahajan, who quit Congress and joined BJP in 2022, succeeded in getting 34 votes.

Polling was also held for 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh and four in Karnataka, besides one seat in Himachal Pradesh.

There was high drama in Uttar Pradesh where, amid concerns over cross-voting, SP chief whip Manoj Pandey quit while polling was underway. As many as eight SP legislators also did not attend a meeting called by party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday.

In Karnataka, the Rajya Sabha election was marred by cross-voting as the state‍‍`s main opposition BJP legislator ST Somashekar voted for Congress candidate Ajay Maken while another saffron party legislator A Shivaram Hebbar abstained from voting.

Somashekar said he listened to the "voice of his conscience" and voted in favour of Congress "which built schools and carried out developmental works in his constituency". Hebbar too abstained from voting adhering to his conscience, he said.

In Uttar Pradesh, ruling BJP and the principal opposition SP have the numbers in the assembly to send seven and three candidates respectively unopposed to the Rajya Sabha but voting was necessitated as BJP fielded an eighth candidate.

But SP took a hit in UP as at least seven of its assembly members cross-voted in favour of BJP resulting in the defeat of one of the three SP candidates.