SHIMLA:   Amid a high voltage drama. the Sukhu government has survived the political shock today as the  storm seemed to have ebbed out as of now.

In a high-stakes political maneuver,  Congress government has survived  but Congress as party turned out to be a loser.

PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh has taken back his resignation after the Congress high level team placated him and his supporters here today evening, giving a big relief to the Sukhu Government.

Congress guided by Legal stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi  managed to  conduct the proceedings  tactfully on the floor of the Vidhan sabha today.

The Party issued a  whip for the passage of Budget today and suspended 15 BJP MLAs from the House for creating ruckus.

The Six Congress rebel MLAs  came from Panchkula and attended the Assembly. The Speaker in a shrewd move passed the Budget through the voice vote that came as a blow to the BJP’s strategy demanding the voting on cut-motion and Finance Bill. 

After the Budget was passed by voice vote, Congress government heaved a sigh of relief.

On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), later in the evening,  had its meeting chaired by Saudan Singh to make next line of action to topple the incumbent Congress government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The BJP's strategy hinges on luring a eight more MLAs, which seems unlikely as of now, to turn tables against the Sukhu government.

As many as 14 Congress MLAs- an impossibility at the moment- if join the anti-Congress government band wagon  can bring down the government.

But six MLAs face disqualification moment they enter the Governor House in protest,  as atleast 14 MLAs out of 40 are needed to convice Governor to put the Vidhan Sabha in suspended animation, say experts.

In the second case, if the rebels have to survive the anti-defection law in no trust motion   they need 28 MLAs to challenge the government defecting to approach the Governor seeking the dismissal of the current government- a remote remote possibility right now. 

BJP's plan to bring this into play hangs in the balance for the time being.

Six Congress MLAs, went back to Panchkula after the Budget was passed tactfully by the Sukhu government Congress team is placating them. 

Harsh Mahajan's  win has come as a big shock for the party and challenged the Sukhu leadership in the state. The six rebel Congress MLAs, camped in Panchkula had  crossvoted against Singhvi.

Mahajan created history by winning the Rajya Sabha seat despite BJP having 25 MLAs and Congress having 40 MLAs. Three independents also voted against the Congress candidate thereby managed a tie-election.

Lady luck smiled on Mahajan in a lot of draw. He became first leader who never lost any elections he contested and won this one  despite number not being  BJP's side. 

Now the specter of disqualification on six MLAs looms large.  

But Congress also faces a  piquant situation in case byelection are held on six seats after Speaker disqualified them.

In case BJP win all the six seats, Congress would be pushed to the brink as BJP would indulge into a game of do or die, said the analysts.

BJP number will soar to 31 and with support of three independents the party will enjoy edge.

The Congress will have 34 MLAs. In this scene, BJP stands to have an edge  as the Speaker cannot exercise his vote. Congress number will be reduced to 33.

Both Congress and BJP are debating all possibilities at the top level. 

Meanwhile Congress High Command's intervention has halted Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu from accepting Singh's resignation.

"Efforts are underway to placate Singh and bring him back into the government fold and addressed his issue of erecting statue of Virbhadra Singh on The Ridge to honlour him and the like", illustrating the intense tug-of-war within the Congress ranks.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly holds a pivotal role in this power play.

The possibility of disqualifying the defected MLAs looms large, as the Speaker stands ready with disqualification letters.

This move, if executed, could significantly impact the BJP's calculations to topple the government.

With the BJP needing eight more MLAs to achieve their goal of toppling the Sukhu government, the Congress High Command's intervention has temporarily thwarted their plans.

Will the BJP succeed in its audacious bid to seize power, or will the Congress manage to hold its ground amidst internal strife? Only time will tell as the political drama in Himachal Pradesh continues to unfold.

Vikramaditya Singh, accompanied by Rajiv Shukla, told media that organizational strength is bigger than individual interests.

He stated, "The organization is more important than any individual, and maintaining its strength is our collective responsibility. We have conveyed our views to the party high command"

Singh highlighted unity within the party, noting the presence of key Congress from various states to address the issue that created the storm in the party.  Regarding recent developments, he mentioned  his resignation, stating, "This crisis was not inevitable, but through positive thinking and collective effort, solutions can be found."

Singh reaffirmed the party's commitment to serving the state and its people through strong governance, emphasizing the need for trust in collective judgment.

He concluded, "It is our collective responsibility to strengthen the government and serve the people, and for that, we must trust our own judgment and work together."

The storm seemed to have ebbed out  but lull after the storm is equally potent.