Congress Rebel Rana Claims to be in Touch with 9 More MLAs, Calls CM 'liar no. 1' as HP Crisis Smoulders

New Delhi: Trouble is far from over for the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh. Sources say that the rebels are sticking to their demand to change chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Making matters worse for the state government, after the disqualification of six rebel MLAs, another nine Congress MLAs are “ready to revolt if changes are not made immediately”.

Insiders say that the observers sent by the party are also inclined towards a leadership change but they feel that the timing is not right.

Rajinder Rana, one of the six Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha elections and was later disqualified from the Assembly, said Mr Sukhu’s claim that some of the rebels want to return is false.

“No one wants to return. On the other hand, at least nine more legislators are in touch with us,” Mr Rana said.

Asked about the possibility of cross-voting, if Sonia Gandhi had contested the polls instead of Abhishek Singhvi, Mr Rana said, “She has made a lot of contributions to the country and been the Congress president. Had she contested from here, that would have been a different matter.”

Rubbishing the allegations levelled by Himachal Congress chief Pratibha Singh, Mr Sukhu insisted that the government under him has given the state an “honest administration” in the past 14 months.

Asked about the state Congress chief’s allegation that a number of MLAs have raised issues with his style of functioning, the chief minister said, “Over 80 per cent of the Congress is together, and in the rest of that 20 per cent, some people are upset with us over small matters. It is my responsibility to clear things, so I have had discussions with six disqualified Congress MLAs.”

Mr Sukhu said he does not know why the Himachal Congress chief has claimed that he was not taking people along. He said he regularly interacts with her.

The state unit chief and her minister son Vikramaditya Singh have opened up a new front against the functioning of the chief minister and are not relenting.

The six rebel Congress MLAs, who were disqualified from the state Assembly for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections, challenged the decision in the Himachal Pradesh high court on Friday.