Himachal: Sidh Baba Balak Nath Trust dissolved, trustees close to rebel Congress MLA removed from posts

Hamirpur (HP): In a possible fall-out of the cross-voting by some rebel Congress leaders in the recently held Rajya Sabha election in Himachal Pradesh, the government-owned Sidh Baba Balak Nath Trust, Deotsidh here has been dissolved with immediate effect, according to officials.

Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner Amarjeet Singh said trustees and special invitees to the trust have been removed from their posts.

The trust, constituted in April last year, was dissolved on the day the Chaitra fair began at Deotsidh on Thursday. No new trustees have been appointed by the state government yet, officials said.

Most members of the trust were said to be close to rebel Congress leader and disqualified MLA from Barsar, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal. He and eight others, including five rebel Congress leaders, had voted in favour of the BJP’s candidate in the Rajya Sabha poll.

The cross-voting caused an upset and the BJP nominee won the election. Subsequently, the rebel MLAs were disqualified for defying the party whip to be present in the House and vote in favour of the government during the cut motion and the budget.

Meanwhile, Rajendra Gautam has taken over as the new SDM of Barsar replacing Rohit Sharma, who was posted here during Lakhanpal’s tenure as MLA. Sharma has since been transferred to Sujanpur.

Under the Himachal Pradesh Hindu Public Religious Institution and Charitable Endowments Act, 1984, the local SDM controls the temples in his jurisdiction, making the Barsar SDM the chairman of the Sidh Baba Balak Nath Trust.