4 min readShimlaMar 14, 2026 03:49 PM IST
First published on: Mar 14, 2026 at 03:49 PM IST
Thirty-one Haryana Congress MLAs, who were shifted from Chandigarh to a hotel in New Kufri near Shimla on Friday amid the political tussle ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, were moved to another location on Saturday under police escort.
The convoy carrying the legislators left the hotel at New Kufri in the morning. Congress MP Deepinder Singh Hooda, son of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was seen leading the convoy and personally driving a black SUV.
The MLAs, who were travelling in two tempo travellers, were escorted by the Himachal Pradesh Police during the movement from Kufri. According to police sources, the legislators were most likely headed towards Chail in Solan district, although the exact destination was not officially disclosed.
A police officer told The Indian Express, “The MLAs were most probably taken to Chail in Solan district. It is their individual tour, and we are only providing escort to ensure hassle-free travel. They may return to the Kufri hotel later in the evening, though the chances appear less.”
The legislators had been lodged at a well-known hotel adjoining the Adventure Resort at New Kufri, which falls under the jurisdiction of Theog police station in Shimla district.
Earlier in the day, Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s political adviser, Sunil Bittu, also interacted with the Haryana Congress MLAs at the hotel.
Meanwhile, the hotel and its adjoining area were turned into a fortress guarded by police personnel. Entry to the road leading to the hotel was restricted, and only authorised persons were allowed access. Tourists and visitors heading to the nearby adventure park were diverted through an alternative route to avoid any disruption.
The shifting of the Congress MLAs to Himachal Pradesh comes against the backdrop of the upcoming Rajya Sabha election in Haryana scheduled for March 16. Political parties are closely guarding their legislators amid concerns over cross-voting.
While the Congress has fielded Karamvir Singh Boudh for the Rajya Sabha seat, the BJP has fielded Sanjay Bhatia. An independent candidate, Satish Nandel, has also entered the fray, intensifying the contest.
In such situations, political parties often move their MLAs to other states or resort to preventing poaching by rival parties and to ensure that their legislators vote along party lines.
Sources said the decision to move the Congress MLAs out of Chandigarh was taken as a precautionary measure to keep the party’s flock together ahead of the crucial election.
The Congress leadership has not officially commented on the movement of the MLAs, but party insiders indicated that the exercise was aimed at maintaining unity in the legislative party and preventing any last-minute political manoeuvring.
The Rajya Sabha election from Haryana is expected to witness keen political interest, particularly because even a small shift in the voting pattern could alter the final outcome.
The Haryana Legislative Assembly has a total strength of 90 members. Of these, the BJP has 48 MLAs, and the Congress has 37, while the INLD has two, and there are three independent MLAs. A candidate requires 31 votes to win in the Rajya Sabha election.
Meanwhile, six Congress MLAs—Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Vinesh Phogat, Kuldeep Vats, Mohammad Ilyas, Parmveer Singh and Chandermohan—have not reached Shimla. Voting for the Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana will be held on March 16.
Congress MP Deepinder Singh Hooda was leading the 31 Haryana Congress MLAs coming out of a hotel in New Kufri near Shimla. MP Deepinder Singh Hooda was driving a Haryana registration number black Jeep. (Express Photo by Saurabh Parashar) 
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