Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Wednesday suspended 15 BJP MLAs, including leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, for allegedly shouting slogans and misconduct in the Chamber of Speaker.
The other 14 suspended BJP MLAs include Vipin Singh Parmar, Randheer Sharma, Lokender Kumar, Vinod Kumar, Hans Raj, Janak Raj, Balbir Verma, Trilok Jamwal, Surender Shori, Deep Raj, Puran Thakur, Inder Singh Gandhi, Dileep Thakur and Inder Singh Gandhi.
"We are apprehensive that Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania might suspend the BJP MLAs so that the budget can be passed in the Vidhan Sabha," Jairam Thakur told reporters earlier in the morning.
He said the Rajya Sabha election had made it clear that the Congress government was in the minority and demanded the resignation of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
The move comes a day after the BJP on Tuesday won Himachal Pradesh's lone Rajya Sabha seat with its candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi due to cross-voting by MLAs of the state's ruling Congress party.
Proposal to expel BJP MLAs
The BJP legislators were suspended by the Speaker after the State Parliamentary party affairs minister Harshwardhan Chauhan moved a proposal recommending the expulsion of the MLAs from the house.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP legislators were suspended by the Speaker after the State Parliamentary party affairs minister Harshwardhan Chauhan moved a proposal recommending the expulsion of the MLAs from the house.
{{/usCountry}}The Himachal Pradesh Assembly was adjourned till 12pm amid disruptions, with opposition members staging protests in the well of the House.
The BJP, however, has dubbed this a move by the Congress to prevent its government from toppling ahead of the Budget session.
"Congress Government is toppling. So such attempts are being made - to suspend them. These are delay tactics and are followed in every Vidhan Sabha...Congress has dismantled from here. All the attempts they make now will fail. BJP will form the Government here...Nine MLAs (who cross-voted) are in my support...," Harsh Mahajan said.
Vikramaditya Singh resigns as Himachal minister
Meanwhile, Vikramaditya Singh, a state minister and the son of the former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, on Wednesday stepped down.
"All I would like to say is that under the current circumstances, it is not correct for me to continue as a part of the government. So, I have decided that I am resigning from the council of ministers. I am resigning as a minister," Vikramaditya Singh said at a press conference
The trouble for the government comes at a time when the assembly's annual Budget session is going on and ahead of voting on the state Finance Bill in the Assembly.
(With inputs from agencies)