Himachal Assembly adjourned sine die after passing 2024-25 Budget

The Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha (Assembly) was on Wednesday adjourned sine die (indefinitely) after the passing of the Budget for 2024-25 and related Appropriation Bill authorising the government to spend Rs 62,421.73 crore from the consolidated fund.

The Budget was passed in the absence of the Assembly's 25 BJP members as 15 of them were suspended while the remaining 10 staged a walk out in protest against the suspension. The Congress holds 40 seats in the 68-member Assembly, with the remaining three seats held by independents.

The BJP's Satpal Singh Satti said the the party MLAs were suspended as the government did not have the required adequate majority in the house to pass the financial bill.

Nine MLAs, including six Congress MLAs and three independents, who reportedly cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls held on Tuesday, were also absent from the house. The Budget was passed by voice vote without a discussion on cut motions and the speaker applied the guillotine.

The Vidhan Sabha adjournment comes a day ahead of schedule as the state's political scenario changed dramatically after the defeat of Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha elections, and the resignation of public works minister Vikramaditya Singh from the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu cabinet.

The Budget was presented on 17 February by chief minister Sukhu, who also holds the finance portfolio. Discussions on the budget were held for four days, from 19 to 22 February.

Speaking to the media in state capital Shimla, Sukhu said he has not resigned as chief minister of Himachal Pradesh even as his government risks losing majority after the cross-voting. "I am a fighter. I hail from a humble family. We will win this battle and also prove a majority in the Vidhan Sabha," he told media representatives.

Six Congress MLAs voted in favour of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, with sources claiming they are "disappointed" with the chief minister. "We are in touch with some of the MLAs who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls," Sukhu said, adding that his government would last its full five-year term.