Himachal Pradesh speaker suspends 15 BJP MLAs, adjourns House

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Wednesday suspended 15 BJP MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, and adjourned the House.

They were suspended for misbehaviour and shouting slogans in the House.

"We are apprehensive that Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania might suspend the BJP MLAs so that the budget can be passed in the Vidhan Sabha," Thakur told reporters earlier in the morning.

He said the Rajya Sabha election had made it clear that the Congress government was in minority and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The move comes a day after the BJP on Tuesday won the state'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.