Mandi, June 4
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur on Wednesday said that the ruling Congress government should accept the people’s mandate and claimed that the party would face a complete rout in the next Assembly elections.
Addressing a meeting of newly elected Zila Parishad members, Panchayat Samiti members, Pradhans, Up-Pradhans and BJP workers of the Snor Mandal in the Drang Assembly constituency, Jairam Thakur congratulated the elected representatives and urged them to serve the people with honesty, transparency and dedication over the next five years.
Launching a sharp attack on Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Thakur alleged that the state government was reluctant to hold local body elections on time due to fear of defeat. He claimed that the BJP had to approach the High Court and later the Supreme Court to ensure that the elections were conducted within the stipulated period.
The BJP leader further accused the Congress government of attempting to conceal its electoral setbacks in local body, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad elections. He alleged that the ruling party had presented misleading figures regarding its performance and failed to provide supporting data when questioned by the opposition.
Jairam Thakur said the recent election results reflected growing public dissatisfaction with the Congress government and urged the Chief Minister to respect what he described as a strong public mandate against the ruling party.
Calling upon newly elected representatives to strengthen grassroots democracy, he advised them to work collectively for the development of their respective areas and maintain close coordination with the people.
Referring to the damage caused by recent natural disasters, the former Chief Minister also appealed to administrative officers to function impartially and not come under political pressure while dealing with public representatives and local issues.
The meeting was attended by Banjar MLA Surender Shourie, Ani MLA Lokender Singh, and Drang MLA Puran Chand Thakur, along with party workers and newly elected local body representatives.
