Following his resignation as a minister in Himachal Pradesh, Vikramaditya Singh took a strategic step on social media. This decision came in the wake of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's scathing criticism of the six Congress MLAs who were disqualified for their allegiance to the BJP during the Rajya Sabha election. Describing them as "black snakes," Sukhu accused the rebel legislators of compromising their integrity and attempting to undermine the Congress government by abstaining from voting on a budget that encompassed welfare initiatives for the underprivileged.
Addressing a public gathering in Dharampur within the Kasauli Assembly constituency of Solan district, the Chief Minister questioned the ability of individuals who prioritize financial gain over their constituents' welfare. He emphasized that those who betray the party that allowed them to contest elections are akin to "black snakes" in the realm of politics.
Furthermore, Sukhu expressed his belief that redemption is possible for those who acknowledge their mistakes. However, he urged the six rebel MLAs to rectify their actions during the past 72 hours, metaphorically referring to their current situation as a "jail."
In a bid to reconcile with his disgruntled colleague, Vikramaditya Singh, who had resigned from his ministerial position and threatened further resignation, Sukhu disclosed that he had authorized Singh to engage with the disqualified MLAs. Notably, Singh had a meeting with the six MLAs in Chandigarh.
Asserting confidence in the stability of the government, Sukhu assured that discussions were underway, with Singh set to confer with Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge. He underscored that despite these developments, there was no imminent threat to the government's tenure.
Vikramaditya Singh, the scion of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Congress state chief Pratibha Singh, had initially tendered his resignation as the PWD minister but later retracted it, citing the need for internal party dialogue.
In Shimla, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu informed reporters that Vikramaditya Singh had indicated some rebel MLAs' willingness to return to the party fold. Additionally, Sukhu criticized the Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur, accusing him of orchestrating political maneuvers in the state and reaffirming his government's commitment to completing its full term.
Meanwhile, Vikramaditya Singh made adjustments to his Facebook profile, removing the designation of "Himachal Pradesh minister" and adopting the title of "Himachal ka sevak (Worker of Himachal Pradesh)" instead.
Adding to the political fray, one of the disqualified MLAs, Rajinder Rana, took to Facebook to criticize Sukhu, lamenting the transformation of those advocating for Himachali interests into traitors, while external influences gained prominence. He called for public judgment on who truly represents the people's interests.
Support for the disqualified MLAs also emerged from Pratibha Singh, who contended that their disqualification was rushed and stemmed from a desire to be heard rather than outright rebellion. She criticized the Sukhu government for failing to address these MLAs' grievances before their dissent escalated.
The six Congress MLAs disqualified under the anti-defection law include Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Ravi Thakur, Chetanya Sharma, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Rajinder Rana, and Sudhir Sharma. Their defection during the Rajya Sabha election caused a political upheaval in Himachal Pradesh, culminating in the defeat of the Congress candidate.
