Shimla: The election commission on Wednesday announced elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states, including that of Himachal Pradesh, on March 16. The six-year term of BJP Rajya Sabha member from Himachal Pradesh, Indu Bala Goswami, is set to end in April.Currently, all three Rajya Sabha seats from Himachal Pradesh are held by the BJP leaders. In the state legislative assembly, the Congress commands 40 out of 68 seats, while the BJP has 28 MLAs. This gives the ruling party a comfortable majority to secure the Rajya Sabha seat, though it is yet to announce its candidate.
Revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi, speaking to the media on Wednesday, said the Congress held the required numerical strength, while the opposition BJP lacked sufficient numbers. He challenged the BJP’s claim, questioning the basis on which they expected to advance their candidate.To a question that even during the 2024 Rajya Sabha polls, Congress party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi could not win, Negi emphasised that in a democracy, using “punitive measures to force party switching undermines the very essence of democratic values”.He further warned that if such tactics, whether through coercion or party-hopping, continued to influence election outcomes, it would render the electoral process meaningless and threaten the spirit of the Constitution.During the 2024 Rajya Sabha poll, BJP’s Harsh Mahajan won as six Congress MLAs cross-voted.MSID:: 128509937 413 |
