India, Feb. 29 -- The shocking loss for the Congress in the Rajya Sabha poll in Himachal Pradesh following cross-voting by a section of its rebel legislators has not only put the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government in a precarious situation but also pointed to the party leadership's sluggishness in bringing order to its disarrayed unit in the Himalayan state.

In a massive blow to the Congress, the cross-voting by six of its 40 legislators as well as three independent MLAs, who previously backed the Sukhu government, left both ruling party's Abhishek Manu Singhvi and BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan tied on 34 votes each on Tuesday. The tie was then resolved by a draw-of-lots, which favoured Mahajan.

The result has highlighted the discontent ...