Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election

Six former Congress MLAs of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly who were disqualified after they defied a party whip and cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls, were joined by three independent MLAs in joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today.

Several former MLAs of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly are expected to join the BJP and contest the upcoming bypolls on its ticket, sources told Press Trust of India today, as the political crisis plaguing the state continues to rumble.

Rajinder Rana, one of the six Himachal Congress MLAs who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha elections and was later disqualified from the assembly, today rubbished Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's claim that some rebel legislators want to return.

For the continuity of the government, the Congress needs to ensure that there is no further rebellion. After all, it doesn't have a big cushion to fall back on-it has a strength of 34 against a simple majority of 32.

Six Congress MLAs from Himachal Pradesh who cross-voted for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha election have been disqualified from the assembly, the Speaker announced today.

Harsh Mahajan, a three-time MLA and former state minister, is the son of former Himachal Assembly speaker Des Raj Mahajan. He has now been elected to Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh after defeating Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa today said the BJP tried to suppress the voice of party leader Rahul Gandhi and ended up losing in the Himachal Pradesh and the Karnataka assembly elections.

The Congress spent over Rs 130 crore for contesting the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls held late last year, according to an expenditure report submitted by the party to the Election Commission.

Bolstered by electoral victories in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, the Congress is now shifting focus to other poll-bound states in a desperate bid to consolidate its voter base ahead of the crucial general elections next year.

Speaking to reporters, Baghel said, "First we won Himachal Pradesh, and then we won Karnataka. They used to speak of 'Congress mukt-Bharat' but now South India is 'BJP-mukt'."

Congress's Sachin Pilot -- credited with a big role in the party's victory in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh through ground-level election work -- will begin the election year in Rajasthan with an elaborate mass contact programme.

She also took a swipe at the BJP over its defeat in the just-concluded Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, saying the ruling party's president could not hold on to his home state. "Who is the Pappu now?" she asked.

After the BJP's Himachal Pradesh defeat, Union Minister Anurag Thakur has been blamed by many party workers of infighting and rebellion. His father and former Chief Minister PK Dhumal has reacted to the criticism for the first time.

Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu who took oath as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday said that his government will implement OPS (Old Pension Scheme) in the first cabinet meeting.

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Sunday congratulated Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on being sworn in as the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.

Six former Congress MLAs of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly who were disqualified after they defied a party whip and cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls, were joined by three independent MLAs in joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today.

Several former MLAs of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly are expected to join the BJP and contest the upcoming bypolls on its ticket, sources told Press Trust of India today, as the political crisis plaguing the state continues to rumble.

Rajinder Rana, one of the six Himachal Congress MLAs who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha elections and was later disqualified from the assembly, today rubbished Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's claim that some rebel legislators want to return.

For the continuity of the government, the Congress needs to ensure that there is no further rebellion. After all, it doesn't have a big cushion to fall back on-it has a strength of 34 against a simple majority of 32.

Six Congress MLAs from Himachal Pradesh who cross-voted for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha election have been disqualified from the assembly, the Speaker announced today.

Harsh Mahajan, a three-time MLA and former state minister, is the son of former Himachal Assembly speaker Des Raj Mahajan. He has now been elected to Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh after defeating Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa today said the BJP tried to suppress the voice of party leader Rahul Gandhi and ended up losing in the Himachal Pradesh and the Karnataka assembly elections.

The Congress spent over Rs 130 crore for contesting the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls held late last year, according to an expenditure report submitted by the party to the Election Commission.

Bolstered by electoral victories in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, the Congress is now shifting focus to other poll-bound states in a desperate bid to consolidate its voter base ahead of the crucial general elections next year.

Speaking to reporters, Baghel said, "First we won Himachal Pradesh, and then we won Karnataka. They used to speak of 'Congress mukt-Bharat' but now South India is 'BJP-mukt'."

Congress's Sachin Pilot -- credited with a big role in the party's victory in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh through ground-level election work -- will begin the election year in Rajasthan with an elaborate mass contact programme.

She also took a swipe at the BJP over its defeat in the just-concluded Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, saying the ruling party's president could not hold on to his home state. "Who is the Pappu now?" she asked.

After the BJP's Himachal Pradesh defeat, Union Minister Anurag Thakur has been blamed by many party workers of infighting and rebellion. His father and former Chief Minister PK Dhumal has reacted to the criticism for the first time.

Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu who took oath as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday said that his government will implement OPS (Old Pension Scheme) in the first cabinet meeting.

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Sunday congratulated Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on being sworn in as the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.