9 MLAs unhappy with CM Shuku in touch with us: Cong rebel Rana

SHIMLA: Rebel Himachal Pradesh Congress MLA Rajinder Rana on Saturday claimed that nine more party legislators feeling suffocated by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s style of functioning were in touch with them.

Rana along with five other Congress MLAs, who had cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls, have been disqualified from the Assembly for abstaining from voting on the cut motion and finance bill.

In an interview, Rana alleged that CM Sukhu’s friends were running the state government. He claimed that the elected representatives, especially the ministers, were feeling suffocated and humiliated.

“Besides the six Congress and three independent legislators that cross-voted in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls, nine more party MLAs are in touch with us,” he said.

Rana termed Sukhu liar number one and alleged that he was trying to twist the facts.

“Neither Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh had told the chief minister that he is meeting the Congress rebels at Panchkula nor the CM had sent him,” he said.

“Vikramaditya Singh, who met us on his way to Delhi, did not ask us to patch up. He has his own grievances against the government which failed to provide land for installing Virbhadra Singh’s statue and interfered in his functioning,” he added. Sukhu on Friday said Vikramaditya Singh had informed him that some Congress rebels have approached him and they wish to come back following which the PWD minister was told to talk to the rebel MLAs and the Congress’ central leadership.

Ruling out any possibility of returning to the Congress, Rana said, “After the observers said Sukhu would continue as the CM, there is no scope for compromise.” “No rebel MLAs wish to come back. The question of working with the CM who has put Himachal Pradesh on back gear does not arise and we have also conveyed our stance to the observers who called us on phone,” he added.

Two ministers storm out of HP Cabinet

High drama was witnessed during the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet meeting on Saturday with ministers Jagat Negi and Rohit Thakur leaving midway following a heated debate over policy decisions, sources said.

Education minister Thakur, however, returned after allegedly being pacified by Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, they said.

Revenue minister Negi said the meeting -- chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu -- started at around 12.30 pm instead of the scheduled time of 11 am and clashed with another engagement that he had.

Jagat Negi said he left as he was getting late. Addressing media persons, Thakur said he left the meeting briefly to meet someone but later went back.

The sources, however, said before both the ministers left, a “heated debate” had taken place over some policy decisions.

Politics is a game of suitability and compromise and good sense should prevail in the interest of the party, said a senior Congress leader while referring to the incident.