Shimla
Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, accusing him of violating the Model Code of Conduct during the ongoing municipal election campaign in Mandi by allegedly promising ₹50 lakh each to councillors in return for electoral support.
Addressing multiple public meetings in Dahoundi, Bhiuli, Thanehra and Khaliyar wards, the former chief minister termed the announcement “irresponsible, unconstitutional and politically motivated”. He alleged that the Congress government was trying to influence voters through “budget temptations” despite the enforcement of the election code.
Jai Ram Thakur said it did not suit a chief minister to make “false claims and misleading promises” during elections, adding that the people of Himachal Pradesh had now “understood the reality” of the Sukhu government. He alleged that Congress was once again relying on “false guarantees and inducements” to secure votes in the civic body polls.
The Leader of Opposition further claimed that funds under the Urban Challenge Scheme were provided by the Centre and accused the state government of falsely projecting them as its own achievements. He also accused the Congress government of discriminating against Mandi in development matters.
Questioning the state government’s priorities, Jai Ram said that while projects worth nearly ₹1,000 crore were proposed for Mandi to the Centre, only around ₹180 crore worth of works were approved by the state government. He alleged that several projects initiated during the BJP regime were either stalled or stripped of funding after the change in government.
The BJP leader claimed that funds allocated earlier for projects such as the proposed Mandi University, Shiv Dham project and the Greenfield Airport were either withdrawn or diverted. “Whatever could be taken away from Mandi was taken away,” he alleged while accusing the government of neglecting the region over the past three-and-a-half years.
Taking a dig at Congress over local ward politics, Jai Ram alleged that the party had betrayed public sentiment in Dahoundi ward after BJP withdrew its nomination in Behnā ward respecting local sentiments. He claimed the Congress candidate later “disappeared from the contest” at the last moment, calling it an example of the party’s “double standards”.
Seeking support for BJP candidates in various wards, Jai Ram appealed to voters to “teach a lesson to those who ignored civic issues and public sentiment for over three years”. Former minister Anil Sharma, MLAs Inder Singh Gandhi and Purna Chand, along with BJP district president Nihal Chand Sharma, were also present during the campaign events.
