Himachal crisis: Six Congress MLAs who cross voted for BJP candidate flown back to Panchkula

The six Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs, who cross-voted for BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan during the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday, were flown back to Panchkula after they appeared for hearing on a petition on anti-defection law before Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania.

These MLAs, namely Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Inder Dutt lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Divender Kumar (Bhutto), who had left for Panchkula after voting on Tuesday, had returned to Shimla on Wednesday morning and left before the central Congress observers reached Shimla.

The six Congress MLAs along with three independents had reached Himachal Pradesh Assembly and were greeted with thumping and slogans by the BJP MLAs.

These nine MLAs abstained from voting Wednesday on the budget inspite of a whip issued by the Congress party.

The BJP MLAs greeted the nine with slogans such as ''Jai Shri Ram, ban gaya kaam'' when they arrived.

According to reports, the MLAs were ''disappointed'' with the working style of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and were seeking his replacement.

Ravi Thakur had on Tuesday dismissed Sukhu's claims that some party legislators were ''kidnapped'' and said he ''can go anywhere'', while referring to his visit to Panchkula.

Sukhu in Shimla alleged that ''five to six'' Congress MLAs were ''kidnapped'' and whisked away by CRPF and the Haryana Police.