SHIMLA: Three Independent MLAs, who had voted for the BJP candidate in the February 27 Rajya Sabha election, resigned on Friday as members of the Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly. They accused the state govt of “targeting them and their families and registering false cases against them”.
The MLAs K L Thakur from Nalagarh, Hoshyar Singh from Dehra and Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur reached Shimla by helicopter and submitted their resignations to assembly secretary Yashpal Sharma in the presence of many BJP leaders including leader of opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur.
With Friday’s resignations, nine assembly seats have fallen vacant in the Himachal Pradesh assembly. Earlier, six seats had fallen vacant following the disqualification of six Congress MLAs after they cross-voted for BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate Harsh Mahajan and later defied the whip issued by the party during the budget session. Bypolls have already been announced for the six seats that fell vacant.
After his resignation, Hoshyar Singh said he had voted for BJP’s RS candidate following his conscience. He alleged that false cases were being filed against the MLAs, which is against democratic norms.
Ashish Sharma said the atmosphere of instability in the state and low level of politics had led him to resign in the interest of his constituency and the state, without any pressure. He also revealed that he would get a BJP ticket and would contest elections again.
The MLAs K L Thakur from Nalagarh, Hoshyar Singh from Dehra and Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur reached Shimla by helicopter and submitted their resignations to assembly secretary Yashpal Sharma in the presence of many BJP leaders including leader of opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur.
With Friday’s resignations, nine assembly seats have fallen vacant in the Himachal Pradesh assembly. Earlier, six seats had fallen vacant following the disqualification of six Congress MLAs after they cross-voted for BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate Harsh Mahajan and later defied the whip issued by the party during the budget session. Bypolls have already been announced for the six seats that fell vacant.
After his resignation, Hoshyar Singh said he had voted for BJP’s RS candidate following his conscience. He alleged that false cases were being filed against the MLAs, which is against democratic norms.
Ashish Sharma said the atmosphere of instability in the state and low level of politics had led him to resign in the interest of his constituency and the state, without any pressure. He also revealed that he would get a BJP ticket and would contest elections again.
