Ruling out any possibility of Operation Lotus in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Thursday said the Congress government in the state was united and politically stable. He also strongly backed the leadership and work of Vikramaditya Singh.
Agnihotri said Himachal Pradesh was the only state where the BJP’s Operation Lotus was not only planned, but also failed.
“Despite losing nine MLAs, including independents, we saved the government. We won six by-elections and brought our strength back to 40. I do not see any such chance in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. A trick that fails once cannot succeed again,” he said.
Agnihotri also praised Vikramaditya Singh, stating that he is a young, energetic and a valuable colleague. He said the Congress government has entered its fourth year with unity and a shared commitment to development, welfare and pro-people policies.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the state government is focusing on aggressive resource mobilisation due to shrinking Central assistance and delays in fund releases. “The Centre is yet to release Rs 1,500 crore announced by the Prime Minister during his visit to Dharamshala, Rs 1,200 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission and full post-disaster assistance. At the same time, revenue deficit grants have been reduced by nearly Rs 3,000–4,000 crore,” he said.
Agnihotri said financial pressure has increased after the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme, after which the Centre imposed a cut of Rs 1,600 crore on Himachal. He asked the Centre to relax norms for hill states and ensure funds are released on time.
Highlighting infrastructure and tourism-led growth, he said the government is giving priority to ropeway projects, including the long-pending Shimla transport ropeway. He said the project cost has risen due to inflation and currency depreciation. He also announced approval of Asia’s largest zipline project in Dharamshala and expansion of adventure tourism initiatives.
Also Read: Centre approves ₹2,247-cr rural road works for Himachal
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