All differences sorted out, says Congress amid Himachal Pradesh political crisis

NEW DELHI: Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who has been assigned as an observer for the political crisis in Himachal Pradesh, on Thursday expressed confidence that the government will complete its full five-year term.

fter meeting with HP Congress leaders Vikramaditya Singh and Pratibha Singh in Shimla, Shivakumar said, "All is well. This government will stay for 5 years. All issues have been sorted out. We are hearing all the MLAs. There is no problem in the government."

Shivakumar, along with observer Bhupendra Singh Hooda, will be leaving Shimla today.

Earlier today, the Himachal Pradesh assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified six Congress MLAs who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls.

"Six MLAs, who contested on Congress symbol, attracted provisions of anti-defection law against themselves. I declare that the six people cease to be members of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly with immediate effect," Speaker Pathania said.

The six disqualified MLAs are Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Davinder K Bhutto, Ravi Thakur, Chaitanya Sharma, and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal.

Following the 2022 assembly elections, the Congress held 40 MLAs, while the BJP had 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents. With the disqualification of the six rebel MLAs, the strength of the house has decreased from 68 to 62, with the halfway mark now at 32.

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