Leader of the Opposition and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday said the BJP would return to power with a clear majority in the next Assembly elections. He also criticised the Congress government for repeatedly blaming the Centre for the state's financial difficulties despite receiving substantial central assistance.
After attending the 120th birth anniversary programme of Himachal Pradesh's first Chief Minister, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar, Thakur paid tribute to the veteran leader and praised his contribution to the state.
He said Dr Parmar played a key role in shaping Himachal Pradesh and giving it its identity. According to Thakur, his vision and leadership continue to guide the state's development even today.
Responding to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's remarks on the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), Thakur said the grant was discontinued for all states based on the Finance Commission's recommendations and not only for Himachal Pradesh.
He said the Centre had compensated through other forms of financial support. Thakur pointed out that Rs 3,920 crore had been approved for hill states under the Special Assistance to States scheme, of which Rs 2,400 crore had already been released to Himachal Pradesh as a 50-year interest-free loan. He said the state government should acknowledge this support instead of criticising the Centre.
Thakur alleged that most development projects currently underway in Himachal Pradesh are being funded through central government schemes. He accused the Congress government of failing to give due credit to the Centre.
According to him, development activities in the state are largely being driven by central funding and welfare programmes. He claimed the Congress government rarely acknowledges the Centre's contribution.
The former Chief Minister said that with nearly four years of the Congress government's term completed, the Chief Minister should focus on presenting his government's achievements rather than targeting the BJP and the Centre.
He said people would like to know what the state government has accomplished during its tenure instead of hearing repeated allegations against political opponents.
Rejecting Sukhu's claim that several BJP MLAs would lose the next Assembly election, Thakur said the Chief Minister's assessment was misplaced. He claimed that even a large number of Congress legislators may fail to retain their seats. Thakur expressed confidence that the BJP would secure a comfortable majority and form the next government in the state.
Referring to the recent Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body elections, Thakur said the results indicated increasing public support for the BJP. He claimed that the BJP secured leadership positions in district councils across nine of the ten districts where elections were held. He also alleged that the Congress struggled to field candidates in several places.
Thakur further pointed to the BJP's performance in municipal corporation elections, saying the results reflected the party's growing strength and support base across Himachal Pradesh.
Speaking about the BJP Legislature Party meeting scheduled before the Monsoon Session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Thakur said the party would review its strategy for the session beginning on August 21.
He said party legislators would discuss important questions, notices and public issues that need to be raised in the Assembly. The BJP, he added, is preparing to effectively highlight matters concerning the people during the upcoming session.
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