Nine legislators hailing from Himachal Pradesh, comprising of six Congress dissidents facing potential disqualification for contravening party directives, along with three Independents, have now taken refuge at a secluded resort nestled in the serene surroundings of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.
Previously lodged in a lavish establishment in Panchkula for more than a week, the legislators were discreetly escorted to the picturesque Rishikesh in a bus bearing Haryana registration plates, flanked by stringent security measures.
Among the group, the ruling Congress party had taken disciplinary action by disqualifying six MLAs, namely Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur, and Chetanya Sharma, for their failure to participate in the Budget voting as per the party's mandate, ultimately going against the whip.
The Finance Bill was subsequently passed by the House through a vocal affirmation.
In a preceding statement, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Sukhu, disclosed that the nine MLAs initially lodged in Panchkula had been relocated via a chartered plane to an undisclosed location.
He implied that these legislators might be ruing their decision to challenge the stability of the Congress government.
Asserting his resolve, the Chief Minister reiterated his defiance against any subversive attempts aimed at his administration, squarely pointing fingers at the BJP for orchestrating maneuvers to unsettle the democratically elected regime.
Meanwhile, the six Congress MLAs have taken legal recourse by petitioning the Supreme Court against their disqualification, contesting the legality and constitutional validity of the Speaker's decision on February 29. These dissidents, in conjunction with the three Independents, also engaged in cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha polls.
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