Ram Temple was a factor in BJP's win on Himachal Lok Sabha seats, says CM Sukhu

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 4 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the Ram Temple was a factor that helped the BJP in winning all four Lok Sabha seats in the state.
When asked about whether Ram Temple was a factor in BJP's win on Lok Sabha seats, Sukhu said, "Ram Mandir remained a factor to some extent. The fact that it is a Hindu majority state had an effect. However, Sukhu denied that any kind of Modi factor was effective."
Talking about voting percentage Sukhu said, "On the national level, our vote percentage has increased 14 per cent. In 2019 we got only 27 per cent votes. Now we have got 41 per cent votes...we will figure out all the issues and resolve it and will come forward."
Further, Sukhu said, "After the Congress party's victory in four assembly by-elections the people of Himachal Pradesh have defeated the 'Operation Lotus' and / have given a message to the BJP that horse trading or any other attempt to topple an elected government will not be accepted."
Apart from that, in a boost for the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, the party won four of the six assembly bypolls.
The results are a boost for Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu government, which was facing a threat due to cross-voting by six party MLAs in the Rajya Sabha bypolls. The MLAs, who were disqualified from the assembly, later joined the BJP. The disqualification led to the bypoll on the six seats.
Himachal Pradesh assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Monday accepted the resignation of three Independent MLAs, who had also voted in favour of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections along with rebel Congress MLAs.
Congress candidate Abishek Manu Singhvi lost the Rajya Sabha polls, causing an embarrassment to the Congress. The Congress has 34 MLAs in the assembly and with four of its candidates winning the bypolls, the party's strength now stands at 38 in the 68-member House.
With three vacancies, the effective strength of the assembly is 65 and majority mark is 33. In the 2022 assembly polls, Congress had won 40 seats while the BJP got 25. (ANI)