Congress Solidifies Majority with Four Out of Six Seats
Shimla – In a significant political development, six newly elected legislators were sworn into the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday. The by-elections, held on June 1, were crucial for the ruling Congress party to solidify its majority in the 65-member House.
BJP and Congress Take Oath
Former minister and BJP MLA from Dharamshala, Sudhir Sharma, was the first to take the oath. He was followed by Congress MLA Anuradha Rana from Lahaul and Spiti. The other MLAs who took their oaths include Congress MLA Captain Ranjit Singh from Sujanpur, BJP MLA Inder Dutt Lakhanpal from Barsar, Congress MLA Rakesh Kalia from Gagret, and Congress MLA Vivek Sharma from Kutlehar.
Speaker and Chief Minister Address New MLAs
Congratulating the new members, Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania expressed hope that they would address state issues and focus on public welfare. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu highlighted the importance of this victory, noting that it was a public response to the party rebels who contested on BJP tickets.
BJP Reviews Performance
Leader of the Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, acknowledged the BJP's victories in four Lok Sabha seats and two assembly bypolls but mentioned the party is reviewing the reasons behind the defeat in the remaining four assembly bypolls.
First-Time Legislators Focus on Development
Three of the six newly elected MLAs—Singh from Sujanpur, Sharma from Kutlehar, and Rana from Lahaul and Spiti—are first-time legislators. Anuradha Rana, the first woman in 52 years to contest and win from Lahaul and Spiti, aims to improve connectivity, health facilities, and sustainable tourism in her constituency.
Upcoming Elections and Future Prospects
With these recent victories, the Congress party now looks forward to the upcoming elections on July 10 for three assembly constituencies left vacant by the resignation of three Independent MLAs. The six assembly seats had previously become vacant following the disqualification of Congress rebels who defied the party whip during a budget vote.