"Himachal Pradesh's CM has a small heart": Disqualified Congress leader Rajinder Rana

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], March 3 (ANI): Disqualified Congress MLA Rajinder Rana strongly criticised the Himachal government for the disqualification of 6 MLAs in Himachal Pradesh after cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha election, stating that the Chief Minister of the state has a 'small heart' and a 'small mindset'.
"We will soon go to court because the Speaker has arbitrarily decided to disqualify these members under pressure. The law has not been given due consideration. The Chief Minister of the state has a small heart and a small mindset," he said.
Earlier, Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified the six Congress MLAs on Thursday who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls.
The six MLAs who have been disqualified are Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Davinder K Bhutto, Ravi Thakur, Chaitanya Sharma and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal.
Amidst the political landscape of Himachal Pradesh, disqualified MLA Rajinder Rana has raised serious allegations regarding the aftermath of legislative cross-voting.
"Those legislators who engaged in cross-voting have faced police actions against their supporters in their homes. Those who had businesses have had their businesses shut down. Various pressures are being exerted on their supporters," Rajinder Rana said.
In a defiant stand against perceived injustice, Rana emphasized the watchful eyes of Himachal Pradesh and the entire nation.
"The people of Himachal Pradesh and the entire nation are watching what is happening here. We stand with the pride of Himachal Pradesh, and we will not let their pride be hurt, and we are not going to negotiate with them," Rajinder Rana said.
The petition was filed by Congress MLA and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harsh Wardhan Chauhan under the anti-defection law for the disqualification of the six MLAs.
After the 2022 Assembly elections, the Congress had 40 MLAs, while the BJP had 25 in the 68-member state assembly.
The remaining three seats are held by independents.
With the six rebel MLAs disqualified, the strength of the house comes down from 68 to 62, and the halfway mark is 32. With the loss of 6 MLAs the Congress now has 34 MLAs and the BJP, with independents, has 28. The fortunes of the Congress will now rest on its ability to keep the rest of its flock together. (ANI)