New Delhi: Moments after Himachal Pradesh’s public works department minister Vikramaditya Singh on Wednesday announced his resignation from the state cabinet, Union minister Anurag Thakur said that the Congress has failed to fulfil its promises to the people of the state, leading to great dissatisfaction among its own MLAs.

“The Congress formed a government in Himachal Pradesh by making big false promises. And after forming the government, these promises were not fulfilled. People ask them (about these promises) when the Congress MLAs visit their constituencies, but they have no answers,” Thakur said.

His comments came following Tuesday’s incident in which six lawmakers of the Congress party cross-voted in favour of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls.

According to party officials, the MLAs were disappointed with the working style of Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and were seeking his replacement.

Thakur did not confirm the reports whether the Centre is planning to bring a no-confidence motion against the Sukhu-led government in the Himachal legislature after the Congress MLAs rebelled against the party.

Congress’s Rajya Sabha candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost to the BJP’s Harsh Mahajan on Tuesday. Singhvi received 34 votes after six Congress lawmakers and three independents previously backing the government supported BJP nominee Mahajan, who also received 34 votes. The tie was then resolved by a draw-of-lots, which favoured Mahajan. The Congress lawmakers claimed that more party leaders were dissatisfied with CM Sukhu, and wanted to see him replaced.

Also Read: Sukhu government in Himachal Pradesh on brink after BJP stuns Congress in Rajya Sabha election

The BJP maintained that the Congress government had lost the confidence of the House and demanded Sukhu’s resignation. BJP leaders in the state have claimed that the Congress government has lost the “moral right” to stay in power and demanded a floor test in the state’s ongoing Budget session.

Thakur noted that Singhvi being given a Rajya Sabha ticket may have caused anger among the Congress leaders, but claimed that infighting and lack of development were the primary reasons for the rebellion.

“What compelled their MLAs to leave their side within just 14 months? One major reason was that a non-Himachali was given a ticket….There was anger regarding this among the people, and I think there must have been some among the Congress’s leaders too. But all in all, they are so upset with their own government—neither are they being able to fulfil their promises, nor create any development,” Thakur said.

Thakur dismissed allegations that the BJP government had caused Singhvi’s defeat by an “abduction” of the Congress’s MLAs, as CM Sukhu claimed.

Hours after BJP’s Mahajan won, CM Sukhu alleged that the central police force and the Haryana Police took away his party’s five to six MLAs.

Thakur said that Congress MLAs’ demand to replace Sukhu as CM was a “party matter”, but that it showed that the Congress was scattering and breaking up.