Shimla Police questioned several BJP leaders and former MLAs in connection with an alleged horse-trading case related to the Rajya Sabha elections on Friday. Among those summoned were former MLAs Davinder Bhutto, KL Thakur, and Rajinder Rana, who appeared at the Boileauganj Police Station. Rakesh Sharma, father of former Congress legislator Ashish Sharma, was also questioned.
BJP leader Rajinder Rana dismissed the allegations as baseless, stating, “There is a significant difference between making an allegation and proving it. At 58 years of age, this is the first time I’ve been summoned to a police station. We are fully cooperating with the investigation, but mere allegations don’t establish guilt.”
Rana also targeted the state government, questioning why Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister prefers staying in five-star hotels in Chandigarh instead of Himachal Bhavan, where he has a designated suite. He criticized the government for financial mismanagement, noting that the state is burdened with debt while the Chief Minister avoids engaging with the people.
“Thanks to the Chief Minister’s ‘mercy,’ I find myself visiting a police station today. The central government should award him a gold medal for deceit. His promises of employment and financial aid for women remain unfulfilled. Himachal Pradesh is under a debt of ₹65,000 crore, with this government adding ₹35,000 crore in loans within just a year and a half,” Rana added.
In March, Shimla Police registered an FIR against former Independent MLA Ashish Sharma and his father, Rakesh Sharma, following a complaint by Congress legislators Bhuvnashwar Gaur and CPS Sanjay Awasthi. The FIR, filed on March 10th at the Boileauganj Police Station, invoked sections 120B, 171(e), and (c) of the IPC, along with sections 7 and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The complaint alleged undue pressure during Rajya Sabha elections, horse-trading during the budget session, and misuse of state resources for illegal activities.
