Shimla, June 3 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh assembly Speaker Kuldeep Pathania on Monday accepted the resignation of three Independent MLAs who had voted along with six Congress legislators, now dismissed, in favour of the BJP candidate in the recently held Rajya Sabha election.

With their resignation, the strength of legislators in the House of 68 has been reduced to 59.

The resignations of Hoshiyar Singh (Dehra), Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur) and K.L. Thakur (Nalagarh) have been accepted and their seats fell vacant from Monday, a notification by the state Vidhan Sabha secretariat said.

Official sources said the legislators had voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the February 27 Rajya Sabha elections along with six Congress rebels.

The three MLAs resigned from the assembly on March 22 but the Speaker did not accept their resignations.

Currently, the Congress has 34 legislators, while the BJP has 25. The results of six assembly by-polls will be announced on June 4.

The three legislators joined the BJP on March 23, the next day after submitting the resignation.