Tuesday’s elections to the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh witnessed high-octane drama with a tie resolved by draw of lots, Congress losing the poll despite an absolute majority and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu claiming that five-six Congress MLAs were “taken away” in a convoy of CRPF and Haryana Police.

Hours after the BJP claimed that the ruling party has lost its majority in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu alleged that five or six Congress MLAs were taken to Haryana accompanied by a convoy of the state’s police and the Central Reserve Police ForceMr Sukhu made the claim minutes just before the BJP candidate was declared the winner in Tuesday’s Rajya Sabha election for one seat in Himachal.

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The MLAs were taken to a government rest house in Haryana’s Panchkula. The MLAs who had reached Panchkula yesterday boarded a chopper to reach Shimla ahead of the Budget Session.

With the Rajya Sabha election indicating that the MLAs’ votes are split evenly in the 68-member Assembly, the Congress will face a big test while trying to get the Budget passed on Wednesday.

The BJP is also likely to move a no-confidence motion against the Sukhu government on Wednesday after there were indications that the Congress has lost “majority” as six of its MLAs and three independents backing the party had voted for the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha poll yessterday.

Himachal Pradesh Rajya Sabha elections

The Congress, which has a clear majority with 40 out of the 68 MLAs and the support of three independent MLAs, lost to BJP in polling for the lone Rajya Sabha seat. BJP’s Harsh Mahajan won the Rajya Sabha polls following a neck-to-neck contest with Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Nine MLAs, six of Congress and three Independents, who were expected to support Sukhu’s government, cross-voted in favour of the BJP.

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The situation in Himachal pressed Congress into the firefighting mode. The party deployed top leadership, including DK Shivakumar and Bhupinder Hooda to reach the hill state.