In a significant development marking a shift in the political landscape of Himachal Pradesh, six rebel Congress MLAs, recently disqualified from the state Assembly, are poised to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alongside three Independents. This move comes ahead of the looming Lok Sabha elections, signaling a potential realignment of political forces in the state.

The political upheaval unfolded after the disqualification of the six rebel Congress legislators who had defied their party’s whip and supported BJP’s candidate during the Rajya Sabha polls. Despite their plea, the Supreme Court declined to stay their disqualification, effectively barring them from participating in Assembly proceedings pending further adjudication.

The disqualified MLAs include Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Ravi Thakur, Chaitanya Sharma, and Devender Bhutto, representing various constituencies across Himachal Pradesh. Their disqualification under the anti-defection law marks a historic moment in the state’s political history.

Notably, prior to their disqualification, high-profile Congress minister Vikramaditya Singh reportedly attempted to broker reconciliation, urging Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to reconsider and readmit the rebel legislators. However, with the disqualification upheld, the rebel MLAs seem poised to align with the BJP.

The defection of these MLAs, coupled with their cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls and abstention from voting on crucial legislative matters, has significantly altered the composition of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly. The effective strength of the Assembly now stands reduced, with Congress witnessing a decline in its numerical strength.