Mandi, June 3
Leader of Opposition and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Wednesday alleged that some government officials were acting under political pressure to target newly elected representatives and cautioned them against crossing administrative and legal boundaries.
Addressing newly elected representatives of gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishad wards in Thunag of Seraj Assembly constituency, Thakur said officials should function within the framework of law and respect the democratic mandate. He warned that any attempt to harass elected representatives at the behest of the government would have consequences.
The BJP leader congratulated newly elected representatives from several panchayats, including Khauli, Lambathach, Shilhbagi, Gattu, Sangalwara, Kharshi and Bagachanogi, among others, and urged them to work with dedication for the development of their respective areas.
Seeking to boost the morale of party-backed representatives, Thakur said the people had reposed faith in them and expected them to work for balanced and sustainable development. He added that strong panchayats would contribute to stronger Assembly constituencies and overall regional progress.
Launching a sharp attack on the Congress government, Thakur claimed that the results of the local body and panchayat elections reflected public dissatisfaction with the state’s policies and growing support for the BJP. He alleged misuse of the administrative machinery and expressed concern over what he termed attempts to intimidate BJP-backed representatives.
Referring to an alleged incident in Chamba, Thakur claimed that a BJP-supported representative was threatened with administrative action if he did not support the Congress. He described such actions as undemocratic and unacceptable.
The Leader of Opposition further alleged that the government was trying to downplay the election outcome by presenting misleading figures and accused the Chief Minister of attempting to conceal political setbacks. He claimed that the public had delivered a clear message against the ruling party and asserted that the BJP would continue to raise issues concerning farmers, horticulturists, women, employees, unemployed youth and traders.
Assuring party-backed representatives of BJP’s support, Thakur urged them not to be intimidated by administrative pressure and to continue serving the people fearlessly. He maintained that the recent local body elections were only a “semi-final” and expressed confidence that the BJP would perform strongly in the next Assembly elections.
